Santa Maria della Scala was a great medieval hospital. Its history and functions were illustrated in the fresco paintings of the Pilgrims’ Hall, its most important room. From its legendary founding by a humble cobbler to its recognition by Popes and Emperors, from the cure of the sick to assistance to the poor, from the education of abandoned children to care for the pilgrims who followed the famous pilgrim route, the Via Francigena. This book is a rich offering to those who came to Siena and climb to the highest point, were right in front of the cathedral rises the vast complex of Santa Maria della Scala, there for nearly a millennium.