Dedicated to the patron saint of Grosseto, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo is the most important monument in the city. As the inscription on the far right of the façade states, the cathedral was built at the end of the 13th century under the direction of Master Sozzo Rustichini, who also participated in the construction of the façade of Siena’s cathedral. The work – interrupted by the arrival of war between Grosseto and Siena – was restarted in 1340.
In the 16th century, a series of interventions by architect Anton Maria Lari from Siena involved the interior and façade, which were profoundly altered also during the 19th century.
The southern side of the building was not changed as much during the 19th-century renovations of the city of Grosseto and conserves its original frontage: the portal is particularly noteworthy, richly decorated with plant and animal motifs. It is believed that the sculptures on the southern side of the cathedral are attributed to the followers of Giovani d’Agostino, who worked on the New Cathedral in Siena.
The interior holds interesting sculptures, such as the impressive baptismal font in marble by Antonio Ghini and, by the same artist, the carved frame of the Alter of the Madonna that houses a priceless painting by Matteo di Giovanni.
The beautiful atmosphere is created by the beams of light shining through the richly decorated Gothic windows on the right wall, made by Benvenuto di Giovanni, a 15th-century artist from Siena.
