Convento di San Bernardino, Sinalunga

Located on the hill of Poggio Baldino, the Convent was built in 1449 and is the seat of the Friars Minor of San Francesco, who still preside over it today. It is characterized by the presence of two cloisters, an octagonal chapel, the church and the residence of the friars.

The church has a regular stone facade, which has undergone several changes during the 1900s. The interior has a single nave enriched by decorative stuccoes dating back to the 18th century, the period during which the Convent was restored.

There are three side chapels; in each of them, above the altar, there is a polychrome statue that represents the dedicatee: the first on the right of the entrance is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is the only with a rectagular plan; the other two semicirculars  chapels, are located in correspondence of the second span. The one on the right is dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, while the one on the left is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 

In front of the chapel of the Sacred Heart, on the left of the entrace there is an arch that leads to the chapel of the Madonna del Rifugio, with an octagonal plan, rebuilt between 1854 and 1858 in the Renaissance style. On the back wall there is a marble altar which houses the venerated icon Madonna del Rifugio, attributed to Sano di Pietro. This place is venerated by the whole surrounding area, because Maria Santissima del Rifugio is the patron saint and protector of the Val di Chiana and of the diocese of Montepulciano – Chiusi – Pienza.

On the side walls of the chapel there are important works of art: the Annunciation of Benvenuto di Giovanni (1470), the Baptism of Christ of Guiduccio Cozzarelli (around 1483) and The Coronation of the Virgin and Child between Saints Simone and Taddeo (1486), of the same artist.

Finally, the beauty of the Convent is also due to the private gardens that surrounded it, from which you can admire splendid views of Sinalunga and the Valdichiana.