Level III

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.

The medieval hospital contains an extraordinary pathway for access to the various levels and connection between the parts: this is the so-called 'internal road' or covered road, which, in the memory of the Sienese of the twentieth century, is most often recalled as 'voltoni'.

These evocative environments, located in the heart of Santa Maria della Scala, where Saint Catherine of Siena would pause in prayer and bring comfort to the sick, still retain today the intensity and atmosphere that for so many centuries has accompanied the religious fervor of the countless devotees of the Saint. 
Known since the 14th century as the confraternity of San Michele Arcangelo, the company was primarily devoted to piety for the deceased. 

The so-called ‘Corticella’ is a junction of hospital pathways, located at the intermediate level between Piazza Duomo and the areas at the level of Piazzetta della Selva.

From June 12 to September 7, 2025, Francesco Carone presents Golgotha | On Portraying a Mountain at Santa Maria della Scala. The exhibition is part of the Raggioverde 2025 program curated by Michelina Eremita.

From May 22 to September 30, 2025, the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the exhibition Jacob Hashimoto. Path to the Sky, curated by Raphaëlle Blanga, an expert in modern and contemporary art.

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From May 17th to 25th, the exhibition A ritrovar la Diana at the Magazzini della Corticella raises awareness among young people about water issues and Siena's water-related heritage, with works created by students. The initiative is part of the "Siena and Water" project.