Out of the Box is a 2025 curatorial project of Santa Maria della Scala that reinterprets the museum heritage by juxtaposing historical and contemporary works to offer new interpretations.

Out of the box: in dialogue. From the depot to the museum – crossed glances at Santa Maria della Scala

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Fresco

fresco

The Pellegrinaio

Pilgrims' Hall 

Level IV

The fresco in the Pellegrinaio hall, depicting the Story of Sorore, now hangs on the left above the side door that leads to the aisles of Sant'Ansano and San Galgano.&nbsp;

The story of Sorore

particolare "l'accrescere di muraglie"

The fresco in the third bay of the pilgrims' hall shows a construction site associated with the hospital, with an octagonal building in the background and a portico where some workers are engaged in the work.

The growth of walls

particolare dell'affresco "consegna l'abito al rettore"

The fresco by Priamo della Quercia located in the Pellegrinaio hall, in the fourth bay on the right, depicts the Blessed Agostino Novello presenting the Augustinian habit to the Rector. Among the figures, the emperor John VIII Palaiologos can be recognized.

Agostino Novello hands the robe to the rector

The fresco in the fifth bay on the right, located in the Pellegrinaio hall, depicts Eugene IV handing a parchment to Carlo d'Agnolino Bartoli. In the background, Eastern and African figures can be seen.

The Pope grants the indulgence

The fresco located in the fifth bay on the left, by Domenico di Bartolo, depicts a medieval hospital with doctors, friars and nurses, detailing hospital life in 1378.

Care of the sick

The fresco located in the fourth bay on the left of the pilgrim hall depicts a historical scene in a hospital, highlighting the weekly distribution of bread to the poor, with figures of pilgrims, the sick and nobles such as Sigismondo.

The Alms

The "marrying-off of the maidens" is located in the fourth bay of the Pellegrinaio. This bay depicts a significant scene that illustrates one of the hospital's charitable functions, related to the marriage of poor young women, a practice that fell within the welfare and social support activities of the medieval hospital.

The marriage of the maidens

The alms of the small courtyard are located in the third bay of the Pilgrims' Hall. This bay is one of the most significant, as it hosts scenes related to hospitality and the care of pilgrims, including the distribution of alms, in a context that reflects the charitable and care practices of the medieval hospital.

The Alms of the Little Courtyard

marble

sculpture

National Archaeological Museum

head of Pseudo Seneca

Levels I and II

In 1930 in Siena a sculptural head was found, initially mistaken for Seneca. Several theories suggest that it represents Greek poets, such as Hesiod, and dates back to the 1st century A.D.

head of the so-called Pseudo-Seneca

il soffitto

The decoration of the ceiling of the Pellegrinaio hall, executed between 1439 and 1441 by Agostino di Marsiglio in the five bays and in the four connecting sub-arches, depicts saints and figures, with coats of arms and vegetal motifs.

The ceiling of the pilgrims' hostel

Cinerary  urn 

Urna di Larth Sentinate Cumere

The urn, belonging to the family tomb of the Sentinate Cumere, shows the deceased semi-reclining on the kline. On the casket is depicted the recognition between the two siblings, children of Agamemnon, Iphigenia and Orestes in Tauris.

Urn of Larth Sentinate Cumere

urn of the Sentinate Cumere family

The urn, belonging to the tomb of the Sentinate Cumere, bears on its casket a recumbent male; on the casket a scene is depicted that has been variously interpreted: the traditional reading of the two warriors supported by companions as a depiction of the dying Eteocles and Polynices has been called into question by the presence of the lightning bolt.

Urn of the tomb of the Sentinate Cumere

The Old Sacristy 

In 1444, Domenico di Bartolo painted the Madonna of Mercy in the Chapel of the Relics, which later became a place of veneration. In 1610, the fresco was moved to the Old Sacristy. During the 1969 restoration, preparatory sketches and hidden side panels were discovered.

Madonna of the Mantle

Gilded silver

The Reliquary is a liturgical object of great artistic and religious value. It features relief scenes of the Resurrection and the Crucifixion.

Reliquary

bucchero

ceramics

heavy bucchero amphora

The amphora, of reddish-brown coloration ('bucchero rosso'), comes from a tomb discovered in the locality of Querce al Pino in Chiusi. The body of the vessel is decorated with a stamped band with sphinxes leaning to the left; on the shoulder there are ridges with hanging droplet motifs. On the rim, opposite the handles, are modeled female heads. The tomb's grave goods also included another similar amphora and two hydriae.

Bucchero amphora 'heavy'

Silver and enamels

The reliquary of the Holy Nail is a work of great historical and artistic value, connected to one of the most important objects of devotion in the Christian tradition.

Reliquary of the Holy Nail

The Fonte Gaia

Level III

Original fragment by Jacopo della Quercia representing Hope, detail of the Fonte Gaia.

Hope, Fonte Gaia

The marble sculpture depicts Acca Larentia, created by Jacopo della Quercia, for the Fonte Gaia.

Acca Larentia, Fonte Gaia

rea silvia

The marble sculpture depicts Rea Silvia, created for the Fonte Gaia by Jacopo della Quercia.

Rea Silvia, Gaia Fountain

Chalk

The sculpture created by Tito Sarrocchi represents temperance, it is a plaster replica taken from the model by Jacopo della Quercia for the Fonte Gaia.

Temperance, Fonte Gaia 

On the occasion of the exhibition's closing, on Friday, June 6 we are offering a finissage made up of several moments throughout the day. The artist will be present at the finissage.&nbsp;

Closing of the exhibition “Paper Garden. The thread and the mark: grafts, assemblages, diary-books”

On the occasion of the fifth edition of the Festival Voci Migranti, the Biblioteca e Fototeca Giuliano Briganti hosts from 24 to 31 October&nbsp;the work Oh Good! by the artist Moustapha Cessay, created as part of the project Le Valigie Digitali.

"Oh Good!" by Moustapha Cessay at the Briganti Library

Saturday, 20 September 2025, at 4:30 PM, at the Sala Sant’Ansano, the presentation of the book Fausto Melotti. In Lightness | A Tribute to Italo Calvino, edited by Michelina Eremita and published by Silvana Editoriale, will be held.

 Fausto Melotti. In Lightness | A tribute to Italo Calvino

Thursday, September 18 at 5:30 PM, the Santa Maria della Scala hosts a new event in the #IncontriallaScala series, dedicated to the presentation of the book Museology and Perception. From the contemplation of beauty to the aesthetic experience, written by Domenico Piraina and Maurizio Vanni and published by Pacini Editore.

#IncontriallaScala- Museology and perception. From the contemplation of beauty to the aesthetic experience 

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The Bright-Night 2025 of the University of Siena returns on Friday, September 26 inside the museum complex.
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poster

Bright-Night returns to Santa Maria della Scala. Stands, talks, research walks, guided tours and music

At Santa Maria della Scala, from October 3 to 5, 2025, the fifth edition of Siena Comics For Kids will take place, the comics festival dedicated to children and young people.

Siena Comics For Kids. The comics festival at the museum!

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From 18 to 25 October 2025, the Fondazione Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala is participating in the eleventh edition of the Open Archives Week, the event promoted by Rete Fotografia to highlight and raise awareness of the photographic heritage preserved in Italian archives.
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OPEN ARCHIVES WEEK – 11th edition

Thursday, 30 January 2025 at 6:00 PM, in the Italo Calvino hall, we host the writer Dacia Maraini who presents the book Vita mia. Giappone 1943. Memorie di una bambina italiana in un campo di prigionia (Rizzoli, 2023), in the week in which Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated.&nbsp;

Presentation of the book “Vita mia. Japan 1943. Memories of an Italian girl in a prison camp” by Dacia Maraini

On Wednesday, May 21, in the Italo Calvino hall, architect Luca Molinari will speak with representatives of Odile Decq, Studio LAN and Hannes Peer to present the design competition for the restoration and enhancement of over 18,000 sq m of the Museum Complex. The goal is to strengthen its cultural and educational mission.

Public conversation Santa Maria della Scala and its future with Architect Luca Molinari

In October the museum hosts the workshops of the project Supporting the Horizon and the rehearsals of Regeneration Opera, an AMAT initiative for the training of young musicians. The project involves schools and the museum's workshops, promoting the regeneration of the theatre audience.

At the museum: rehearsals of Regeneration Opera by Amat

On the occasion of World Alzheimer's Day, Wednesday, October 1, the Fondazione Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala organizes the conference Well-being at the museum: examples of good practices from projects for people with Alzheimer's and those who care for them, a moment of reflection and discussion open to cultural and healthcare professionals and the public.

 Well-being at the museum: examples of good practice projects for people with Alzheimer's and those who care for them

From 13 to 16 November the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the second edition of Xenos. Performance festival.

Xenos. Festival of performances - program November 16 

From November 13 to 16 the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the second edition of Xenos — a festival of performances.

Xenos. Performance festival - program November 13 

The Santa Maria della Scala museum complex in Siena will host the exhibition Metamorphoses of the Sacred from 14 November 2025 to 11 January 2026, the first institutional solo exhibition of Teodora Axente.

Metamorphoses of the Sacred 

From November 13 to 16 the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the second edition of Xenos. Performance festival.

Xenos. Performance Festival - program November 14

A workshop between poetry and photography: image and word meet to tell the invisible. From 22 November 2025 to 14 February 2026, through in-person and online meetings, participants will translate poetic texts into visual works. The program will conclude with an exhibition, a fanzine, or a collective book.

locandina

In the Light of the Word. Photographic storytelling workshop through the lens of poetry

Between fairy tale and botany in blue: Roberta Favia and Laura Capra together for a workshop dedicated to the fairy tale and cyanotype, included in the programming of the EducarSi 2025 project of the Municipality of Siena.

img-cover-workshop- 11-12-2025

BETWEEN FAIRY TALE AND BOTANY IN BLUE

From 13 to 16 November the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the second edition of Xenos. Festival of performances.

Xenos. Performance festival - program 15 November 

Xenos. Performance festival 

On Thursday, December 11, 2025, in the Sant'Ansano hall, the conference "Archaeological Museum and surroundings. Personalities in comparison: Fabio Bargagli Petrucci and Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli" will be held.