Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata, Renaissance church in Piazza del Duomo, Siena, Italy
The Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata is a Renaissance church integrated into the Spedale complex with a marble-clad side elevation facing Piazza del Duomo. Inside, a spacious nave features a wooden coffered ceiling and single-lancet windows along the walls that let light flow across the space.
The church was founded in 1257 as part of the Spedale complex and originally served the spiritual needs of hospital patients. Major renovations in the late 15th century transformed it with Renaissance styling that defines its appearance today.
The church serves as a daily place of worship where visitors and locals gather to pray and observe Catholic traditions. You can see people lighting candles and sitting quietly in the pews throughout the day.
The layout is straightforward, with the main altar positioned on a raised platform at the end of a wide staircase that is visible from anywhere in the church. Light enters through the Renaissance windows, making it easy to see the interior clearly.
The church has no independent facade but instead shares its outer walls with the hospital complex around it. This integration reveals how medieval institutions combined medical care and spiritual support in a single connected structure.
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