The dome of the “ Madonna della Carità” Church

Many of the church’s erection are the stories and legends that have been handed down for centuries.

It is, however, a remarkable fact that, in a period of famine and strategic and economic decay of Seggiano, this great work was built by calling even workers from Lugano.
And why is that just there?

The whole church is very beautiful but extraordinary is the dome, sloping towards the sky and, seen from Seggiano, to the summit of Mount Amiata.

The question posed by the curious observer is obvious.
“How do they not drop the dome tiles?”
For centuries they have borne the cold north wind, the sun full of August, the frost and the winter snow and are there, the lower ones are almost vertical and challenge the laws of gravity.

The explanation lies in the particular shape of the tiles that allows each row to support the overhanging row and to retain the underlying one. It is handmade terracotta designed for much larger and famous domes.

During the restoration of the dome it became apparent that many tiles were thinned for the natural erosion of the weather, but still retained the original functionality. When it came to replacing some and securing stability, it was decided to resort to modern fastening blocks.

But will they last for another 5 centuries?

From “Seggiano Curiosa”

by Fondazione Le Radici di Seggiano (website)