Photos: Krzysztof Popławski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ввласенко, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Massimo Catarinella, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Krzysztof Popławski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ввласенко, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Massimo Catarinella, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The cathedral's abandoned extension
Your local guide
Simone Landucci
View profile
Highlights
- A cathedral meant to be far larger
- A wall left standing from an abandoned plan
- Plague changing a city's ambitions
- Scale explained through what survives
- History told through what was never finished
About this tour
This session looks at Siena Cathedral's abandoned extension, a project meant to make it one of the largest churches anywhere. You see the tall standing wall that survives from the unfinished plan, and a specific point marking how much larger the completed building would have been. The camera stays close on the surviving stonework throughout.
We spend most of the time explaining why the project stopped, since plague and economic collapse changed Siena's fortunes suddenly. I use the surviving wall to estimate the planned scale as we go, and take questions throughout.
It suits anyone interested in ambitious projects cut short by real historical events. It also pairs well with the marble stripes session on the same building.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Siena before heading out.
-
Unfinished nave wall 15 min
The camera holds on a tall standing wall, all that remains of a planned extension meant to make the cathedral one of the largest in the world.
-
Scale marker 15 min
From a specific point on the wall, I explain roughly how much larger the finished cathedral would have been compared to what stands today.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Siena: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Cinta Senese salumi (heritage pork cured meats) and Terzo di Città, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Siena, showing you Unfinished nave wall and Scale marker live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Siena live with my phone.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
-
Verified booking
Great tour, small hiccups
Knowledgeable guide and a nice group size.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Wed 2 Dec · 8 seats left From 20,00 €
Book