San Quirico d'Orcia
San Quirico d' Orcia is a town with 2672 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) in Tuscany in the province of Siena. She is known for her unusual portal systems.
Geography
The site extends over 42 km ². It is located about 35 km southeast of Siena and 80 km southeast of Florence. Through the local area, the rivers flow Orcia and Asso.
At its districts include Bagno Vignoni and Vignoni.
The neighboring municipalities are Castiglione d' Orcia, Montalcino, Pienza and San Giovanni d' Asso.
Attractions
Collegiate Church
The Collegiate Church dates from the 12th century. Noteworthy is the large side door from the workshop of Giovanni Pisano's late 13th, early 14th century: lions standing on atlases wear a short porch. Here's to feel that Giovanni was artistically educated in the French Kronlanden to the High Gothic period and that he has these principles apparently relayed effectively to his students. An idea of the Gothic drapery is also felt here. The whole structure of the portal is Gothic.
This can also be seen in the typical Gothic decoration band that stretches to the French Kathedralfassaden in the height of the capitals of the corner columns over the entire portal zone on both sides.
Much older is the western portal of the 12th century, which was visible heavily restored. The two nodes have columns to the right and left outside, as always in such cases, the function to ward off evil. Particularly interesting is the lintel, to stand on the two winged mythical creatures fighting against. Here elements of different animals were contracted, being that of a dragon, a snake, a crocodile, the scales of a fish and the wings of a bird. Such hybrid creatures do not really belong in the Italian art. Why they can be found here of all places, may be due to that the place in the Middle Ages was on the Via francigena and has been the seat of a Hohenstaufen vicar in the 12th century.
A not very distant place with a similar Nordic theme is Sant 'Antimo abbey.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Pandolfo Petrucci, (around 1452-1512 ), a ruler of Siena
- Mario salvation de Brentani (1908-1982), German writer and non-fiction author and a German - Canadian magazine editor