A round oculus rimmed by sculpted terracotta pierces the golden Romanesque facade of the early 1200s Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta in Piazza Roma, Monteriggioni, Tuscany, Italy.
Monteriggioni, Tuscany, Italy: the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta (Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption), has a plain facade built of blocks of golden travertine, pierced by an oculus rimmed by decorative terracotta sculpted with foliage. The church, in Piazza Roma, was begun soon after Monteriggioni was founded as a hilltop citadel in 1213 by the city of Siena. It was built in late Romanesque style with a single barrel-vaulted nave ending in a scarsella or small apse. The campanile or bell tower dates from the 18th century, but was constructed from ancient materials. In June 1235, delegates representing Siena and Poggibonsi met here to agree the terms of a peace agreement with Florence, the other major Tuscan city state with which Siena struggled for dominance throughout the medieval period. At the end of the 13th century, the Chiesa di Santa Maria became a parish church. Inside are two 15th century tabernacles, a painting of the Madonna by the 14th century Sienese painter Lippo Vanni, a wooden crucifix, a bell donated by Siena in 1298 and a wooden choir dating from the 16th century.
Size: 2304px × 3456px
Location: Monteriggioni, Tuscany, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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