"The Creator made Italy from designs by Michaelangelo." - Mark Twain

Our first full day in Siena,
found us walking to the nearby bus stop...

and embracing the Tuscan countryside like a local.

While one of our group of four headed off to mass at Siena Cathedral,
the rest of us headed to the Piazza del Campo...

 and happened upon action...

as the starlet on the balcony held the gaze of tourists gathering below.

However, she was a mere distraction
 of our first view of the Piazza...

and coffee...

and maybe a pastry covered in chocolate.

Sustenance for our tour of...

 Siena Cathedral...

the Romanesque and Gothic cathedral... 

requires plenty of time...

 to meander... 

and inspect...

up and down...
for intricate details...

where dark greenish-black and white columns... 

 support a canopy of colors...

on its ceilings.

Oh the ceilings...

except here they are...

in direct competition...

with the "marble mosaic inlay" on the floors.

The adjoining Piccolomini library...

leaves me speechless... 

un-believe-able.
Somehow I missed a photo op of a young Michelangelo sculpture.

Meanwhile, what was seen from below...

is even more amazing...

from above.

Do yourself a favor and take the 'Above the Cathedral' tour.

Stairs are involved,

 but what an adventure,
to see Siena from the rooftops...

and wave to those ...

who chose the extra adventure and more stairs, to climb the wall,
unfinished when the Black Plague swept through the city in 1348.

Inside from above provides an up close view
 of the 1549 stain glass depicting the Lord's Supper.

Patriarchs and prophets circle the dome in constant discussion.

But my favorite view
 was behind the wings of an angel.

Next door...

in the Cathedral Museum complex...

 you will find Donatello's Madonna and Child...

and the exquisite alter piece...

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels and Saints.

The OPA Si Pass allows access to the Cathedral
 and all museums on site for hours of discovery.