The foremost centres of civic power (Palazzo Pubblico and Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala) and religious authority (the Cattedrale) conserve the most noteworthy signs of this cultural ferment.

Inside the Palazzo Pubblico, the grandiose Sala del Concistoro was decorated by Domenico Beccafumi with Episodes of Civic Virtue from 1529 to 1535. His mannerist emphaticism, vivid colours and ambitious perspectives attract viewers to admire one of the most fascinating fresco cycles of its time.

Not far away, in via dei Pellegrini leading to the Baptistry, Beccafumi created a complex depiction of mythological figures and classical history for Marcello Agostani. These frescoes are considered one of the highest expressions of 16th-century Italian art. The private residence that houses them is normally inaccessible, but visitors should not miss this chance to admire them for the duration of the exhibit.

Just across the street lies Palazzo del Magnifico, the residence of Siena’s prince Pandolfo Petrucci. This luxurious patrician dwelling was decorated by the greatest artists working in Siena at the end of 15th century. Today only the building itself remains, as its furnishings were scattered among local and foreign museums during the course of the 19th century.

Its remaining figurative decoration consists of two evocative frescoes by Girolamo Genga (Ransom of the prisoners, Eneas escapes from Troy) now found in the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena.

The nearby Palazzo Piccolomini was commissioned by the descendants of Pope Pius II and designed in pure Renaissance style, possibly by Bernardo Rossellino, the pope’s architect of choice. The building today houses the Archivio di Stato di Siena and the Museo delle Biccherne, a fabulous collection of painted panels that originally served as book covers for the annual accounts of Siena’s municipal government.

The most innovative artists of the 15th century were called to execute the painting and sculpture inside Siena’s Duomo: Bernardino di Betto, known as Pinturicchio, was commissioned to fresco the Libreria Piccolomini built to house the volumes of Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini). He glorified the pope by depicting his achievements in a fresco cycle of rare elegance with exquisite narrative style and rich colours. Below the frescoes, a collection of superb 15th-century miniated choir missals is displayed in glass cases. Renaissance sculpture in Siena was the work of illustrious artists who contributed to the birth of new trends in plastic arts, such as Donatello, Vecchietta, Francesco di Giorgio and even Michelangelo.

The marble inlays on the floor of the cathedral are the work of many great 15th- and 16th-century artists such as Matteo di Giovanni , Guidoccio Cozzarelli, Benvenuto di Giovanni Antonio Federighi and especially Domenico Beccafumi, who created thirteen of these depictions.

Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala, located opposite the Duomo, was a powerful economic institution. Following the creation of an ambitious fresco cycle in its Pellegrinaio, Vecchietta covered its entire Sagrestia Grande with stories by Vacchi and from the New Testament. An early Visitation by Beccafumi may also be admired.

Not far away, the Pinacoteca Nazionale is a sort of encyclopedia of Sienese figurative art. A variety of important works is displayed for all the most important artists, such as Francesco di Giorgio, Vecchietta, Matteo di Giovanni, Giacomo Cozzarelli, Benvenuto di Giovanni, Girolamo di Benvenuto and Beccafumi.

The memory of Siena’s Renaissance ruler Pandolfo Petrucci is linked to one of the town’s most important religious monuments, la Basilica dell’Osservanza, which was founded by St. Bernardino and chosen by Pandolfo as a final resting place. He himself designed its sacristy, adorned with elegant choir stalls in inlaid wood by Antonio Barili and a painted terracotta sculpture composition sculpted by Giacomo Cozzarelli whose expressiveness makes it a masterpiece of late-Renaissance Sienese art.

Located in Siena’s hinterland, the ancient Monastero di Monteoliveto Maggiore was decorated with one of the period’s most extensive fresco cycles, depicting the history of the monastic order. The monastery’s Chiostro Grande was painted with great skill by Luca Signorelli from 1497 to 99 and the frescoes were completed by Sodoma a decade later.

In nearby Asciano Matteo di Giovanni conceived some of his greatest works, which are now displayed in the Museo d’Arte Sacra di Palazzo Corboli. The St. Augustine panel and the two side panels with Saint Augustine and Archangel Micheal that once flanked the National Gallery’s Assumption of the Virgin have been brought together again for the first time since their separation for an exhibit in London.

The fascinating countryside in Val d’Orcia harbours several manifestations of the intimate link between late-Renaissance Sienese culture and the most illustrious proponent of its figurative style, Pope Pius II. In order to transform the town of his birth, Corsignano, into an ideal Renaissance city, he commissioned a project that redesigned its spatial organization and rebaptized it as Pienza after himself. The pope’s memory is redolent in Palazzo Piccolomini with its breathtaking view overlooking a giardino all’italiana and Val d’Orcia, the Duomo and its four spectacular altar panels by Sano di Pietro, Giovanni di Paolo, Vecchietta and Matteo di Giovanni and the Museo Diocesano which houses a number of Pius’ possessions, such as his crosier and mitre, etched with skill and embellished with enamelled decoration.