Front view of the Duomo of Siena
The Cathedral of Siena is the main cult building of the city, recognizable by the skyline together with the Tower of Mangia. Built on a church of the IX century dedicated to Mary, it was consecrated in 1179 by Pope Alexander III. The enlargement works, begun in the XIII century by Nicola Pisano and continued by his son Giovanni, were finally interrupted in 1357 because of the plague. The complex also includes a Romanesque bell tower. The facade, in white marble and serpentine Prato, has three portals and statues made by Giovanni Pisano, today preserved in the Museum of the Opera del Duomo.