Collegiata dei Santi Quirico e Giulitta

The Collegiate Church of Saints Quiricus and Julietta is San Quirico d'Orcia's symbolic monument, known for three carved Romanesque and Gothic portals.

Why it matters

Dedicated to the martyrs Quiricus and Julietta, the church connects the town's identity with the medieval pilgrimage routes of the Via Francigena. Its facade preserves several generations of stone carving from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

What to notice

The main Romanesque portal rests on columns over carved lionesses. A south-side portal is attributed to Giovanni Pisano and includes a relief of two monstrous figures. A further pointed portal is supported by caryatids standing on lions. Inside, the Latin-cross plan contains a polyptych by Sano di Pietro, choir by Antonio Barili and the tombstone of Count Enrico di Nassau.

Context and history

The present church developed from an older pieve preceded by a baptistery that local accounts trace to the eighth century. Its architectural form dates mainly to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. As a collegiate church, it stood at the head of San Quirico's medieval religious hierarchy. The bell tower is a later addition.