The Santuario di Santa Caterina stands on the birthplace of Catherine of Siena (14th century). The sanctuary includes the Hall of the Saints (Camera della santa), the church Chiesa del Crocifisso (consecrated on 23 April 1623), the sacristy, and the oratories: Oratorio di Santa Caterina, Oratorio della Tintoria (built between 1466 and 1474), and Oratorio della Cucina.
The Oratory of Santa Caterina in Fontebranda, also known as the Oratory of the Tintoria, is a small church built between 1465 and 1474 by Francesco di Duccio del Guasta. After the canonization of Catherine of Siena by Pope Pius II in 1461, the inhabitants of the Sienese district of Fontebranda wanted to build a church dedicated to the saint who was born and lived there. It was therefore decided to demolish the old dye works of Jacopo Benincasa, the saint's father, and two adjacent houses to create a space for the church.
The Basilica of San Domenico was built in the 13th century and enlarged in the following century. The Gothic building houses the relic of the head of Saint Catherine of Siena in a splendid Renaissance chapel built for the occasion.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta was built in the 13th century in the Romanesque-Gothic Italian style. It is famous for its intensive use of marble marquetry. An enlargement of the church took place in the 14th century, but was abandoned with its failure. As part of Historic Centre of Siena, the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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