Fondazione Chigi Zondadari Opens in Siena's Piazza del Campo

Palazzo Chigi Zondadari, an 18th-century architectural gem overlooking Siena's Piazza del Campo, will soon open to the public as a cultural hub blending ancient art with contemporary exhibitions. The palace, built for Cardinal Antonio Felice Zondadari, houses the Chigi Zondadari Collection featuring works by Vecchietta, 18th-century ceramics, and Gianlorenzo Bernini's Bust of Alexander VII Chigi. Previously accessible only twice a year during the Palio, the palace will become a house museum under the newly established Fondazione Chigi Zondadari. Founder Flavio Misciattelli, also president of Rome's Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, plans guided tours starting next spring while preserving the palace's original painted floors and Cordovan leather walls. The foundation will create synergies with Pastificio Cerere, drawing on its organizational expertise and artist network to stage contemporary interventions alongside the historic collection. Misciattelli emphasizes the historical link between Rome and Siena, both symbolized by a she-wolf nursing twins. The initiative fills a cultural gap in Siena, where public projects like the Santa Maria della Scala directorship have stalled.