Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena)

The Cathedral of Siena (Italian Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) in Tuscany is the mighty Cathedral of the Assumption and the main church of the city. Today, the building, built of characteristic dark green and white marble, is one of the most important examples of Gothic architecture in Italy.

About the BAPTISTRY: In the immediate vicinity of the large Italian cathedrals / basilicas there is always a separate baptistery (which in important cities can sometimes take on the dimensions of a church), called the “Baptistery”. Saint John the Baptist, like Saint Joseph, is a man on the threshold from the Old to the New Testament. His parents are Zacharias and Elisabeth. After the announcement of God's incarnation, the Mother of God visits her relative Elisabeth, who will give birth to a son in her old age, John the Baptist.
He is half a year older than Jesus and is considered his forerunner/pioneer. He lives in the desert, preaches repentance from sins to the Jewish population and baptizes them in the Jordan. Jesus also comes there to be baptized, and is filled with the Holy Spirit who descends on him from heaven.
John the Baptist's memorial day in the saints' calendar is on June 24th, exactly half a year before 'Holy Eve'.

The patronage "Santa Maria Assunta" (in German: Assumption of the Virgin Mary) of the Cathedral of Siena refers to one of the many memorial or feast days in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary. It goes back to the feast of her bodily assumption into heaven, which is the (Catholic) Church celebrates annually on August 15. In the Orthodox churches the festival is called "Assumption of the Virgin Mary".
In many rural areas it is customary for bundles of herbs to be collected by the population on this day and blessed during the festival service.