Palazzo Piccolomini delle Papesse

The Palazzo Piccolomini delle Papesse is one of the most notable Palazzi in Siena. In via di Città 126, the Palazzo Piccolomini Delle Papesse was built at the behest of Caterina Piccolomini (between 1460-1495), the sister of Pope Pius II, who commissioned the project to Bernardo Rossellino. The building is a typical example of Renaissance architecture of Florentine taste, which is spread over three floors: the ground floor the facade is ashlar stone, and the upper floors are characterized by the presence of mullioned windows.

In 1884 the palace was acquired by the Bank of Italy and was then subjected to several changes to adapt to the new function, date from this period frescoes in a neo-Renaissance style decorate some rooms on the first floor of the building. On the second floor, there’s a terrace from which you can admire a close bird’s eye view of the Duomo, while on the highest point of the building (on the roof) is a covered terrace with offers an impressive view of the old town.

After a careful restoration, in November 1998, the palace was reopened to the public with a new function as the Center for Contemporary Art, supported by the City of Siena and private sponsors. It has as its objective the promotion of contemporary art through an ‘intense activity of exhibitions, and events and also performing publishing initiatives, experimental research, and teaching.

There are three areas available to the public by the Center for exhibitions: the ground floor is the Bookshop (renewed on a project by Luca Pancratii), a library specializing in contemporary art and space, annually enriched by different artists; followed by the former bank vault, built in 1952 that has now become the space where artists can exhibit their new works. All rooms of the palace are home to many works of various artists. The latest exhibition was inaugurated, in September 2020 the amazing universe of Salvador Dalí.