Biblioteca Piccolomini
Biblioteca Piccolomini
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- SMLikestoTravelBengaluru, India277 contributionsWhat a surprise! Don’t miss thisThis is one single room inside the Siena Cathedral which was originally intended to be used as a library. But as the room ended up being rarely used, we have 500 year old frescos with their original vibrant colours still intact with no restoration ever done on it. There is a longish queue to enter but it is well worth it.Visited May 2023Travelled with familyWritten 20 September 2023
- Mary SHartland, Vermont12 contributionsNot to be missedAbsolutely beautiful room. Make sure to duck in while visiting everything else. We bought the ticket that let us go on the roof plus all the rooms. We loved every part of it. One caution as this happened to us---they swiped our ticket to the main Duomo to go to the roof. And then after that tour when we wanted to come back inside they said no you have already been in. We did work it out as our roof guide was nearby and we explained it to her but beware of this.Visited April 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 September 2023
- ksufan88Wichita, Kansas5,459 contributionsA must when visiting the cathedralEntrance to this smallish library is from within the cathedral. There was no line during our visit, but I can easily imagine there being one during the high season. The wall and ceiling frescoes are very colorful, and the lower portions of the walls are lined with glass cases containing very large and colorful books.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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5.0
2,120 reviews
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267
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ksufan88
Wichita, KS5,459 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Entrance to this smallish library is from within the cathedral. There was no line during our visit, but I can easily imagine there being one during the high season. The wall and ceiling frescoes are very colorful, and the lower portions of the walls are lined with glass cases containing very large and colorful books.
Written 30 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary S
Hartland, VT12 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Absolutely beautiful room. Make sure to duck in while visiting everything else. We bought the ticket that let us go on the roof plus all the rooms. We loved every part of it. One caution as this happened to us---they swiped our ticket to the main Duomo to go to the roof. And then after that tour when we wanted to come back inside they said no you have already been in. We did work it out as our roof guide was nearby and we explained it to her but beware of this.
Written 21 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SMLikestoTravel
Bengaluru, India277 contributions
May 2023 • Family
This is one single room inside the Siena Cathedral which was originally intended to be used as a library. But as the room ended up being rarely used, we have 500 year old frescos with their original vibrant colours still intact with no restoration ever done on it. There is a longish queue to enter but it is well worth it.
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ksarman
Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar6,848 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
Be aware
It s located inside the car’ the deal but you need to book a special ticket that give you the access to this stunning place
Colorful , nice ambiance
It s located inside the car’ the deal but you need to book a special ticket that give you the access to this stunning place
Colorful , nice ambiance
Written 4 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AK8397
Ontario, Canada885 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Don't expect to see stacks of books on display. This library is more of an art gallery.
The library is linked to the Duomo, with an entry door on the inside. There may be a lineup, so while you are touring the Duomo, keep checking to see when the line is short. The library is only one room and your visit will only take a few minutes. But it is worth the look! Fantastic frescoes on the ceiling and artwork everywhere. Awesome!
The library is linked to the Duomo, with an entry door on the inside. There may be a lineup, so while you are touring the Duomo, keep checking to see when the line is short. The library is only one room and your visit will only take a few minutes. But it is worth the look! Fantastic frescoes on the ceiling and artwork everywhere. Awesome!
Written 6 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dr K.
Beirut, Lebanon416 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Small little library inside the duomo. Amazing ceiling and walls. We’ll worth it while in Sienna. Loved it with Siena in general
Written 17 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brun066
Florence, Italy12,580 contributions
Nov 2022
I visited the Piccolomini Library in November 2022 for perhaps the sixth time. I have always found it fascinating for the narrative style of the artist who mainly worked on it, Pinturicchio, and in general for the liveliness of the pictorial decoration that covers the entire hall, very coherent because it was finished in a few years.
There are at least two ways to appreciate the cycle of Pinturicchio's ten panels frescoed between 1502 and 1507 and representing, on the walls, as many moments in the life of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, later Pope Pius II, since his departure for the Council of Basel (1431) until his death (1464). One way is that of the entrance, by this iconographic path, into the biography of Enea Silvio with his wanderings - somewhat cosmopolitan for the time - in Europe, from Italy to Switzerland to Scotland to England to France; not to mention Germany, where he stayed for a long time (for three years also as secretary of Emperor Frederick III).
The other way - the main one - to appreciate the paintings is that of the stylistic reading of the ten panels, which show the predilection towards detailed narration by Pinturicchio and his school, and which allow us to always discover new details of the narration itself. They range from the interest in the representation of the characters and their clothing, depicted with accuracy, with reference to their respective roles (emperors, kings, popes, cardinals, bishops, doges, oriental prelates and dignitaries, knights, courtiers, bodyguards, soldiers ...), the interest in the perspective construction of splendid architectures, both real and fictional (the court of the king of Scotland, the imperial one in Aachen, several rooms where the papal throne is located, the church of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome, the court of the Duke of Mantua ), the interest in landscape representations (the storm with clouds, rain and lightning; the "Scottish-Italian" landscape, the landscape of central Italy; urban profiles that should be from time to time those of Trieste, Siena, Rome , Ancona). An extraordinary encyclopedia of places and events, in which you will never tire of browsing.
At the center of the room, then, the sensual Roman sculpture of the "Three Graces", object of ostracism from the nineteenth century onwards, and finally - hopefully definitively - brought back here in 1972 where the creators of the chapel had wanted it.
Overall, in the context of a sublime creation such as the Duomo of Siena, this Library is a further treasure chest of beauty.
There are at least two ways to appreciate the cycle of Pinturicchio's ten panels frescoed between 1502 and 1507 and representing, on the walls, as many moments in the life of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, later Pope Pius II, since his departure for the Council of Basel (1431) until his death (1464). One way is that of the entrance, by this iconographic path, into the biography of Enea Silvio with his wanderings - somewhat cosmopolitan for the time - in Europe, from Italy to Switzerland to Scotland to England to France; not to mention Germany, where he stayed for a long time (for three years also as secretary of Emperor Frederick III).
The other way - the main one - to appreciate the paintings is that of the stylistic reading of the ten panels, which show the predilection towards detailed narration by Pinturicchio and his school, and which allow us to always discover new details of the narration itself. They range from the interest in the representation of the characters and their clothing, depicted with accuracy, with reference to their respective roles (emperors, kings, popes, cardinals, bishops, doges, oriental prelates and dignitaries, knights, courtiers, bodyguards, soldiers ...), the interest in the perspective construction of splendid architectures, both real and fictional (the court of the king of Scotland, the imperial one in Aachen, several rooms where the papal throne is located, the church of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome, the court of the Duke of Mantua ), the interest in landscape representations (the storm with clouds, rain and lightning; the "Scottish-Italian" landscape, the landscape of central Italy; urban profiles that should be from time to time those of Trieste, Siena, Rome , Ancona). An extraordinary encyclopedia of places and events, in which you will never tire of browsing.
At the center of the room, then, the sensual Roman sculpture of the "Three Graces", object of ostracism from the nineteenth century onwards, and finally - hopefully definitively - brought back here in 1972 where the creators of the chapel had wanted it.
Overall, in the context of a sublime creation such as the Duomo of Siena, this Library is a further treasure chest of beauty.
Written 6 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maggie N
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
It was definitely worth seeing. The pope depicted in the ceiling was an interesting man. The manuscripts are gorgeous, especially if you’re interested in reading music. It’s a quick view, and worth it! The whole church is gorgeous.
Written 27 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dillons780
Long Island, NY521 contributions
Jun 2022
The library is connected to the Duomo di Siena and is a relatively small room which makes for a great quick visit after visiting the Duomo di Siena. The library is stunning and unlike anything we've seen before. Tickets are sold in combination with entrance to the Duomo di Siena. Highly recommend.
Written 26 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jackiesamy
Miami, FL209 contributions
Dec 2021
excellent place, beautiful to visit i recommend to see it the place was not that crowded and the people was nice
Written 3 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DaAv1979
Sondrio, Italy309 contributions
È consentito fotografare l’interno? Si paga una sovrattassa al biglietto?
Ida B
Province of Bergamo, Italy645 contributions
Si è possibile fotografare e non c è una sovrattassa. Non fare una visita veloce sia la biblioteca che la chiesa meritano una visita accurata
Elisabetta A
Como, Italia45 contributions
vorrei andare a vedere il pavimento del Duomo in occasione della scopertura e , visto che ne parlano tutti bene, anche la libreria , ho visto un biglietto intero a 8 euro, include anche l'ingresso alla biblioteca??? scegliendo l'orario si evita la fila???' grazie
marco p
Savigliano, Italy472 contributions
la biblioteca rientra nel biglietto di ingresso al Duomo
jimsack
Fort Wayne, IN182 contributions
what is the admission price, and are the lines long? Thank you.
jen1105
San Diego, CA536 contributions
The Piccolomini Library is housed within the Duomo. On TripAdvisor, The Duomo is listed as the Siena Cathedral and is the #2 "Things to do in Siena".
If you go to that TripAdvisor listing, you will see a yellow button linking you to the Duomo of Siena Complex: Skip-the-line Entry Ticket, which is approx. $13 and up cost.
There's also a yellow button link to the Viator Skip the Line: Siena Duomo and City Walking Tour, cost approx. $33/pp. I booked this tour ahead of time and my entrance to the Duomo was included in the cost. It was a great tour with Sylvia.
The Siena Cathedral listing also has a website link to the official Duomo ticket office (the operaduomo site) where you can make inquiries via email or even book tickets online.
The Piccolomini Library, and the Duomo it's housed in, were two of my favorites on the tour I took. Since I was part of a late March skip the line tour, I can't speak about wait times, because we only had a 5 minute wait while our tour guide picked up our passes in the ticket office. We then simply walked into the Duomo without queuing.
Italy tourist sites can be crowded anytime you go, I would book a "skip the line" ticket or tour ahead of time through one of methods I describe above. However, if you need more flexibility, then take a look at TripAdvisor reviewer, pingaroo, who talks about purchasing a skip the line entrance pass to the complex for 13 Euro, plus 7 Euro more for the Gate of Heaven Tour. Pingaroo purchased the tickets upon arrival in Siena on a Sat in September 2016. The pingaroo review is on the Siena Cathedral review page listed under "Must do Gate of Heaven tour" posted on March 30 2017.
Hope this helps :)
ysiNovi_Mi
New Braunfels, TX186 contributions
Is it open all year round or only during certain periods like the floors?
lllaroo
Atlanta, GA404 contributions
I believe the library is open year round at the same times as the Duomo itself.
Daria C
27 contributions
È possibile vedere la biblioteca senza andare nella cattedrale e pagare il biglietto solo per la biblioteca?
BodhisattvaHand
Boston, MA411 contributions
Pienso que no.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Biblioteca Piccolomini
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