Description
A lone horseman rides across a landscape of bare hills, between a hilltop castle on the left and a fortified encampment on the right. He is Guidoriccio da Fogliano, commander of Siena’s forces, clad in striking heraldic patterns repeated on his horse’s caparison.
The fresco in the Sala del Mappamondo of Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico commemorates the capture of Montemassi in 1328. The Civic Museum catalogues it as a painting by Simone Martini made around 1330. Its authorship and the chronology of its execution have nevertheless been disputed, an important qualification when discussing the image. The broad landscape should not be mistaken for an exact military plan. Castle, encampment and winding roads are recognisable features of a siege, but they are arranged so that the rider commands an exceptional presence.






