Why go
Start with the Pellegrinaio to understand the hospital setting, then decide whether to follow the chapels, the Old Sacristy or the archaeological collections. Those choices make a long museum visit more coherent. Pairing it with the cathedral is rewarding, but both interiors need time of their own.
The full story
Santa Maria della Scala occupies more than one gallery in the former hospital. Its named spaces include the Pellegrinaio, the Cappella del Manto, the Old Sacristy and the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. Oratories, archaeological displays and other collections add further choices. The practical question is which thread to follow. If the building's hospital past is your interest, begin with the Pellegrinaio and related rooms before moving into specialist collections. If Sienese religious art is the draw, let the chapels and sacristy shape your path. The complex faces Siena Cathedral, making the two an obvious pairing on the map, but a rushed combination can reduce both to a sequence of doorways. Check the museum's current room access and admission information before setting a detailed route; temporary exhibitions and open areas can change.