Santuario di Santa Caterina, Siena

Well, I think we managed to see most of the areas surrounding, and including, the Duomo so we tried to make our way to the Santuario di Santa Caterina. It was another warm day and walking the steep cobblestone laneways did make us second guess continuing. The Sanctuary of Santa Caterina is not a flash or ornate building and with very little signage it was hard to find.

The sanctuary incorporates the ancient residence of the Benincasa, birthplace of St. Catherine and is divided into various arcades, churches and oratories. This is one place that not speaking Italian made it difficult, as we really weren’t sure which rooms we could enter. I wish we did know more about this place and the areas we could actually visit as there was so much we missed.

It is now a pilgrimage site overseen by the nuns of the Benedictine order, and the home’s original kitchen and sleeping area were frescoes and converted into chapels in the 15th century. While no photos were allowed inside the chapels, it was lovely to walk into them and feel the serenity of the place.

The highlight for me though, what the wrought iron portal of the Sanctuary. The Portal of the Sanctuary of Santa Caterina da Siena was inaugurated and added to the sanctuary in 2015. Made entirely by hand, this modern piece of sculpture was forged by fire and modelled manually. It is very different and in stark contrast to the ancient statues and building and I love it, although I’m not sure all Italians would appreciate it or enjoy it.Read more