Sometimes overshadowed by Florence, Tuscany's equally ancient city of Siena is also an astonishing trove of history, art, and architecture, and its centerrpiece is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Santa Maria Assunta in Italian), commonly called the Duomo di Siena.
The origin of the cathedral is rather uncertain. According to tradition, on the top of the hill the first small church, dedicated to St. Boniface, was built in the heart of the Roman village Castelvecchio. In the 9th century, it was renamed in honor of the Virgin Mary The dome was completed in 1264, and the lantern, built in 1664, is surmounted by a golden copper ball with a cross, dating back to 1385.
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