Once upon a time… beautiful Siena, in Tuscany, was a very important city. Let’s go back in time… Imagine being in 1300. Siena was rich, powerful, and heavily populated. It was also constantly battling against Firenze (Florence), in competition with the neighboring city for almost anything you can think of.

In order to show the world its power, Siena decided to build a NEW CATHEDRAL (una nuova cattedrale). The main cathedral of the city, also called il Duomo, dedicated to the Madonna. The cathedral was originally built in the 12th century. There once stood a much more ancient church, situated in the oldest part of Siena. With time, it became clear that this building was too small for the ever-growing population.