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Complesso museale Santa Maria della Scala

  • Jacob Hashimoto. Path to the sky
    Santa Maria della Scala opens the contemporary season with the exhibition "Path to the sky" by Jacob Hashimoto, whose site-specific works have been created for the most prestigious cultural institutions worldwide
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  • Museum schedule change - July 2, 2025
    On the occasion of the Palio on July 2nd, the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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  • Art Bonus
    Any donation in support of the activities of the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation can be made under the Art Bonus scheme,
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The museum

A large building complex erected in front of the Cathedral at the end of the 12th century and developed until it was almost complete by the mid-15th century.

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Tickets and opening hours

Plan your visit

Santa Maria della Scala offers a wide range of visit itineraries, connected to the historical, architectural, artistic, and functional complexity of the building and to the works preserved within it.

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Not to be missed!

The heritage and permanent collections at Santa Maria della Scala 

Piccolomini Spannocchi Collection

Officially established in 1774 following the marriage between Caterina Piccolomini di Modanella and Giuseppe Spannocchi, the collection is the result of three distinct nuclei and boasts a much older origin, whose history is intertwined with the great historical and political events that shook the whole of Europe during the seventeenth century.

The treasure of Santa Maria della Scala

In 1359, the Santa Maria della Scala hospital, supported by the Municipality of Siena, acquired a valuable collection of relics from Byzantium, including the Holy Nail, an object of great veneration.

The Pellegrinaio

In 1328, the hospital expanded its structure with the construction of a men's pilgrim lodge, achieved through the acquisition and demolition of surrounding houses to overcome a height difference of three floors. This pilgrim lodge marked the beginning of the development of the area designated for male assistance, extending the hospital towards the little square of Selva. 

Library and Photo archive Giuliano Briganti

Giuliano Briganti (1918-1992) was one of the most important art historians of the twentieth century. He graduated in 1940 with a thesis about Pellegrino Tibaldi and he dedicated his entire career to the study of various artistic movements, such as Baroque and Vedutismo. His historical-artistic formation has been strongly influenced by outstanding figures, first of all Roberto Longhi, with whom he started the magazine Paragone Arte.

Children's art museum

The Children's Art Museum was established in Siena in 1998 and quickly gained recognition in the city for its rich cultural program of artistic events and related educational activities aimed at young audiences.
In 2007, it relocated to Santa Maria della Scala, gaining a new venue, a space dedicated to its collection, and taking on the role of Educational Services within the museum complex.

The Fonte Gaia

The Fonte Gaia was completed in 1419, a little more than ten years after the start of the project by Jacopo della Quercia. A very strong civic symbol, it represented an ideal frame for that precious resource that was water for any citizen, especially for those living in hilly areas.

National Archaeological Museum

The idea of an archaeological museum takes shape in Siena between the late 19th century and the early 20th century, within those institutions that, due to various circumstances, had seen the formation of small nuclei of antiquities.

Siena. A tale of the city from its origins to the Middle Ages

The path, which develops in the tunnels overlooking the internal road, illustrates, through archaeological materials, documentary sources, and a rich array of photographs and reconstruction tables, the historical development of Siena from the first discoveries in the urban area to the extraordinary flourishing of the communal era and the completed structure of the hospital in the mid-15th century.

Children's Art Museum

Educational and training activities

The Children's Art Museum, founded in 1998, offers artistic and educational activities for young people. In 2007 it moved to Santa Maria della Scala, where it promotes an educational mission by engaging visitors in thematic and creative experiences.

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Download the Museum app!

The museums of Siena offer a multilingual and accessible app, multimedia supports, and special seating to ensure inclusive visits for everyone.

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