"A Plague On All Your Houses..."

It was all going so well up to the mid 14th Century and then someone had to get sick... 

Siena, a city and area mostly unchanged because the plague wiped out 75% of the population, whilst at its height of its creative and administrative influence. Artist.s artesans, bakers... nearly all disappeared  due to death or distance. (Not only the well to do fled the area thinking it was possible to outrun the epidemic, "the ne'er do wells" of artist colony fame also created a dust cloud from  sandalled feet trading hard on dirt roads.)

Rumour has it that the concept of the free market economy was born here. A flourishing yet feudal agricultural system enabled the canny and somewhat scarily named "The Council of IX" or just "The IX" to make their  own rules as is the want of the wealthy. They decided the manner of  taxes, tithes and  payments of all things commercial. It was the IX who also made money by bank-rolling the Papacy ~ though it came with a sizeable interest charge. (Think the Bank of Bravos for the GoT fans.) 

The local Duomo didn't do too badly out of it all of course. Like St Peters B, trying to take in the art work and the adoration of  all things Godly, is a real challenge. To help out, I have used an external snap. It  tells a story about what might lie inside I suggest. 

Ok... can't help myself... Of the internal narrative, one thing is obvious, beyond the adoration factor, the Senesa were a blood thirsty bunch who seemed to like nothing more than a good killing whenever possible. Divided into areas within areas and quite happy to fight with Firenze, Lucca or whoever, the Game of Thrones reference seems once again to be apt. From the floor of the Duomo, a small piece of story outlined in marble. Killing babies, women and children... an oft taken optional extra.

Just a thought... Siena might also be the birth place of splatter films...

The Romans conquered the Etruscans from whence comes the name Tuscany, so the town of Siena decided to adopt the She Wolf and Romulus and Remus as its symbol in recognition of its heritage and contribution... oh, and the claim that R&R were suckled here in Siena.