Description of the attraction
Basilica del Osservanza is a Catholic church located on the outskirts of Siena on the hill of Colle della Capriola. It was built around 1490, probably by the architect Francesco di Giorgio, and in 1495-1496 it was expanded at the initiative of the local ruler Pandolfo Petrucci, who wanted to rebuild a new crypt, build a family crypt and enlarge the adjacent monastery. Today, it is the most important church in Siena outside the city itself, and is where Saint Bernardin, a 15th-century Italian priest and patron of communications, once stayed.
Built in the Renaissance style, the religious building was badly damaged during the infamous siege of Siena in 1554, and was later rebuilt in the Baroque style with its opulence and abundance of detail. In 1922-1932, restoration work was carried out in the church, which also slightly changed its original appearance. But just ten years later, at the height of World War II, the building was almost completely destroyed in an air raid on Siena by American forces in January 1944. Immediately after the end of the war, a very ambitious project was launched to restore the ancient temple: with the help of preserved photographs and various documentary evidence provided by the surviving monks of a neighboring monastery, it was possible to reconstruct the basilica and return it to its former splendor. Today, the Basilica del Osservanza, whose name can be translated as the Temple of Reverence, is one of the largest religious buildings in Siena and an interesting tourist attraction.
