Level III

The Fonte Gaia was completed in 1419, a little more than ten years after the start of the project by Jacopo della Quercia. A very strong civic symbol, it represented an ideal frame for that precious resource that was water for any citizen, especially for those living in hilly areas.

The medieval hospital contains an extraordinary pathway for access to the various levels and connection between the parts: this is the so-called 'internal road' or covered road, which, in the memory of the Sienese of the twentieth century, is most often recalled as 'voltoni'.

These evocative rooms, located in the heart of Santa Maria della Scala, where Saint Catherine of Siena paused in prayer and brought comfort to the sick, still preserve today the intensity and the atmosphere that for so many centuries has accompanied the religious fervor of the Saint's countless devotees. Known since the 14th century as the confraternity of Saint Michael the Archangel, the company was chiefly devoted to piety for the deceased. 

The so-called 'Corticella' is a junction of the hospital routes, located at the intermediate level between Piazza Duomo and the areas at the level of Piazzetta della Selva.

On the occasion of the European Night of Museums, on Saturday, May 23, Santa Maria della Scala will be exceptionally open in the evening as well, until midnight (last admission at 11:15 PM), offering the public a special opportunity to experience the museum in an unusual and evocative setting.

From May 17th to 25th, the exhibition A ritrovar la Diana at the Magazzini della Corticella raises awareness among young people about water issues and Siena's water-related heritage, with works created by students. The initiative is part of the "Siena and Water" project.

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From July 9 to September 14, 2025, Santa Maria della Scala presents, in the rooms of the former Refectory and the spaces of the Magazzini della Corticella, the NoiSe>

Wednesday, July 30, on the occasion of International Friendship Day, Santa Maria della Scala offers a free guided tour to visitors who come with friends, at 5:00 PM. 

From May 22 to September 30, 2025, the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the exhibition Jacob Hashimoto. Path to the Sky, curated by Raphaëlle Blanga, an expert in modern and contemporary art.

From June 12 to September 7, 2025, Francesco Carone presents Golgotha | On Portraying a Mountain at Santa Maria della Scala. The exhibition is part of the Raggioverde 2025 program curated by Michelina Eremita.

On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, promoted by the Ministry of Culture, the Santa Maria della Scala museum complex offers a rich program of guided tours and activities for children.

The Santa Maria della Scala museum complex, in collaboration with the Society of Executors of Pious Provisions in Siena – E.T.S., offers a series of visits dedicated to discovering the cycle of Thebaid frescoes, recently restored and reopened to the public.

Friday, December 19, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Santa Maria della Scala hosts AperiLIS at the museum!, an event dedicated to inclusion and the discovery of Italian Sign Language.

From 13 to 16 November the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the second edition of Xenos. Performance festival.

From 13 to 16 November the Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala Foundation presents the second edition of Xenos. Performance festival.

From 20 February to 30 August 2026, the former stable of the Santa Maria della Scala Museum Complex hosts the new reinstallation of the exhibition Metamorphoses of the Sacred by Teodora Axente, with a selection of 14 works.

From May 9 to 17, at the Magazzini della Corticella, it will be possible to visit the exhibition “A Ritrovar La Diana”, now in its 22nd edition.