Duomo di Siena

Duomo di Siena is the medieval cathedral of Siena, Italy.

The Cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome is octogonally based and only becomes circular above the supporting columns. The lantern, atop the dome, was added by the famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of striped white and greenish-black marble, with addition of red marble on the facade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, derived from the black and white horses of the legendary city's founders Senius and Aschius.