Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Treasures Museum) & Facciatone, Siena (must see)

The Cathedral Treasures Museum is home to art from the Siena Cathedral. The cathedral was the heart of Siena's artistic, political, and spiritual lives. In 1339, Siena began to expand the cathedral. However, the Black Death decimated over half of the city's population, and work stopped. The incomplete nave is now home to the cathedral's treasures and works of art.

Statues created by Giovannie Pisano, once part of the Siena Cathedral's facade, are on display. Visitors will love the stained glass window from the late 13th century. The stained glass window is 30 square meters and has nine beautiful panels depicting the Virgin Mary, the four Biblical Evangelists, and Siena's four patron saints.

Duccio di Buoninsenga's Virgin Mary in Majesty was completed in 1311, and parts are on display on the second floor. This masterpiece processed from the artist's workshop to the cathedral, as Siena's citizens followed with candles. The altarpiece depicts the Madonna and Child with saints and angels surrounding them. The back piece originally had 46 scenes depicting the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ. The pieces were broken up in 1711 and are now displayed in museums across the world.

The museum also displays rare manuscripts and a gorgeous collection of paintings spanning from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

The Facciatone provides stunning views of the cathedral, the city's rooftops, the Mangia Tower, and across to Tuscany's countryside. The Facciatone is accesabile from the museum's upstairs floor. To reach the top, intrepid travelers climb 131 steps up a narrow corkscrew stairway.