Forever linked to the worship of Saint Catherine
of Siena is the great Basilica of San Domenico.
It was built at the same time as the domenican
convent, between 1225 and 1265, and is fully
gothic in its formation. The gothic style
manifests itself here in the guant and severe
architecture, constructed entirely in brick.
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The main church (right). On the left
wall of the church there is a series of notable
works, amongst which is a large tavola by Sodoma
depicting the Eternal Father and Saints Vincenzo,
Ludovico, Sebastiano and Catherine of Siena..
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In the Chapel of the vaults, is the fresco by
Andrea Vanni, painted in 1667. It is the only
remaining work depicting Saint Catherine that can
be considered to be a true portrait of the
saint.
The Chapel of Saint Catherine of Siena, moreover,
preserves the remains of the head of the saint,
kept on the wonderful marble altar, the work of
the sculptor Giovanni di Stefano (1469). The
chapel is entirely covered in oils and wall
paintings of very high merit, amongst which, on
the sides of the altar, are two famous
masterpieces by Sodoma, from 1526, the Rapture of
Saint Catherine and the Eucharistic Vision. On
the other side of the chapel, there is one of the
few pictorial works by the Sienese Francesco di
Giorgio Martini, who was better known for his
architecture: the Adoration of the Shepherds
(1475-80).
In another chapel, there are another two
masterpieces of Sienese art on tavolas. The first
is the Madonna on the throne with Son and Angels,
Saints Gregorio, Giacomo, Girolamo and
Sebastiano, which is believed to be one of the
best works of Benuto di Giovanni (1483). The
other, Saint Barbara on the throne between Saint
Maddalena and Catherine of Alessandria is perhaps
the greatest masterpiece by Matteo di Giovanni
(1479), today returned to splendour and to its
original brightness thanks to a recent
restoration.
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