Siena, City of the Virgin: Illustrated by Titus Burckhardt

• Main Author: Samuel Bendeck Sotillos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Étienne Gilson Society 2021-06-01
• Series: Studia Gilsoniana
• Subjects: catherine of siena; siena; metaphysics; mysticism; religion; christianity; catholicism; sacred art; art history
• Online Access: https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/1294714.pdf

Siena, Italy—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—was the home of St. Bernardino and St. Catherine and is known for its architectural beauty and its religious devotion, particularly to the Virgin Mary. Sienna was regarded in the medieval era as “The City of the Virgin.” The art historian and philosopher of religion Titus Burckhardt (1908–1984), who explores the city with the reader of this book, was one of the 20th century’s most renowned experts on sacred art. The interdependence of the human and the city is crucial, as it is akin to the correspondence between the human and the cosmos or the transcendence and immanence of the Divine. St. Catherine of Siena compares the city to the image of the human soul. Siena itself is like a “little universe” with many facets representing the tripartite structure of the human being, consisting of Spirit, soul, and body. This masterly book is stunningly illustrated and surveys the history, culture, and spirituality of the Italian city of Siena, which provides the metaphysical keys to comprehend at its deepest roots the architectural beauty and devotional splendor of this remarkable city.