The Santa Maria della Scala complex is one of the oldest hospitals in Europe, now a museum. Built along the Via Francigena right in the heart of the city, opposite the Duomo of Siena, it once had the function of hosting and welcoming pilgrims and the most needy visitors.
In fact, this imposing structure occupies the entire slope of the hill in front of the Duomo with its mighty back façade facing the valley. Inside the Museum Complex there are churches, chapels and oratories, which bear witness to the medieval religiosity of this sacred place.
On the ground floor, you can admire the vestiges of the golden age of Santa Maria della Scala when the structure gave hospitality and care to pilgrims traveling to Rome. Here you will see the extraordinary Sala del Pellegrinaio, with fifteenth-century frescoes worked on by Domenico di Bartolo who depict the hospital's missions and the daily life of the time.
On the third floor there's the Corticella, a portico in the heart of the complex reached by a single internal road, where goods of all kinds arrived. In this courtyard, rooms are today used as display rooms, such as the XV century barn with elegant cross vaults.
Included in the ticket price you will also have an audio guide, which you can use to immerse yourself in the history of the building and its works of art. There are three large floors to be discovered, in which temporary exhibitions are also set up.
Entrance tickets with audio guide
