Saturday, March 29, 10 a.m. – The profound knowledge and wise use of those forces that dwell in the universe and nature

Siena Cathedral and the “magic” of the SATOR

The “magic” spoken of by the Sages from the earliest antiquity refers to the profound knowledge and wise use of those forces that dwell in the universe and nature in order to direct them toward the good of humanity. It is therefore about that Natural Magic that “the high priest,” who was also a connoisseur of astrological science, employed to translate the cycles and rhythms of the solar system into concrete times and actions to procure wealth and spiritual fertility for a city and its people.

Siena has always had a deep contact with the “sacred,” over the centuries succeeding in merging the original Etruscan-Roman magical-religious tradition with Christian religious reality. The Cathedral, because of its location, the mysterious presence of its Magic Square, or Sator, and the numerical symbolism that runs through it all, thus becomes a “great work” of alchemy to be “read and meditated upon.”

We will begin our visit from the outside of the Cathedral and then walk through the symbolic tale told by its floor, embedded in the extraordinary architectural structure under the star-quilted dome. We will not find the floor completely uncovered at this time, but the images and symbols on which we will dwell will be such as to satisfy interests, curiosity and expectations.

The tour will begin from the outside of the cathedral and then continue inside with symbolic-alchemical explanation of the floor and the “heart” of the cathedral: its dome. Explanation also of Nicola Pisano’s pulpit and a visit to the Piccolomini Library

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