The Oratory of San Bartolomeo is located next to the church of S. Francesco, now called the Santuario della Madonna di Fatima.
It was originally erected by the Benedictines, but was later purchased by the Conventual Franciscans in 1280, who were based at the adjoining Convent and initially used it as a Chapter House and later as a Refectory. Access to the Oratory is through the cloister, located to the right of the sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna of Fatima.
The Oratory of San Bartolomeo is mainly known for the fresco by Jacopo di Mino del Pellicciaio “La Crocifissione” better known as “Il Pianto degli Angeli”. The work was painted in the second half of the 14th century by the Siena-born artist, who was one of the greatest followers of Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Simone Martini, undisputed exponents of the Sienese school. The fresco is very large and is positioned on the back wall of the refectory; the room is very simple and is embellished by the elegant painting in which the figure of Christ is surrounded by sad stylized angels, in line with the Sienese Gothic style. Over time, the painting has taken on a different colour due to the oxidation of the colour of the sky, which has gone from blue to a coppery shade, such that the fresco has taken on a new, peculiar beauty.
In 1426 the Oratory became the seat of the Confraternita della Misericordia, under San Bernardino da Siena. For a limited period of time, the Oratory of San Bartolomeo also hosted a statue of the Madonna of Fatima created by a number of artists from Val Gardena, and which was then placed in the Chiesa di S. Francesco or Santuario della Madonna di Fatima).
The Chapter Room is now used as a theatre.