Pinacoteca Nazionale ★

The Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena. (Photo by Combusken)

The National Painting Gallery in Siena

Deposizione, Il Sodoma, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena
Il Sodoma's Deposition (1510/13).Siena's National Painting Gallery is home to works representing all eras of the Sienese School.

While frankly these tend to be not their masterpieces (you can find better works by every artist in other places), there are stil fine examples from everyone from Gothic Titans like Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti Brothers through great works by late Renaissance/early Baroque masters Il Sodoma and Beccafumi.

Masterpieces of the collection

Cartone di Domenico Beccafumi alla Pinacoteca Nationale di Siena

One of Beccafumi's cartoons for the cathedral floor panels.

Guido da Siena's Scenes from the Life of Christ (late 1200s) - One of the world's earlist paintings on canvas.
Simone Martini's Madonna and Child (1321) - From the Pieve di San Giovanni Battista
Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Annunciation (1344) - One of the Gothic master's final works; he and his eqaully-talnted brother Pietro both perished in the Black Death of 1348.
Beccafumi's Christ Descending into Limbo (1536) - One of several fine works by the excellent Sienese mannerist painter, showcasing his talent for odd lighting and experimentation with form.
Beccafumi's cartoons for the Duomo floor panels.
Il Sodoma's Deposition (1510/13) and Christ at the the Column (1511/14) - Stunningly realistic High Reansisance works, with amazing attention to detail.

Tips

Details

★ Pinacoteca Nazionale
Via San Pietro 29
(» Via del Capitano leads south-southeast of the Duomo to become Via San Pietro in the Terza di Città)
tel. +39-0577-286-143 or +39-0577-281-161
www.pinacotecanazionale.siena.it
Open: Sun-Mon 9am–1pm, Tues-Sat 8:15am–7:15pm
Adm

How long does the Pinacoteca Nazionale take?

Planning your day: Figure on spending 30–60 minutes in the museum.