Dr. John Paoletti

Siena’s greatest impact on the history of art occurred in the 13th through the 15th centuries. During this time the city’s painting, sculpture and architecture constantly reinforced ideas of history as a determinant for the future, of religion – places, ceremonies, institutions, saintly figures – as a sign of civic safety, and of repetitions of established images as a sign of permanent and proven urban security. We will discuss how within an enclosed urban space imagery in multiple media - by artists such as Duccio, Simone Martini, Jacopo della Quercia, Francesco di Giorgio and the emerging Michelangelo - fostered not only civic pride but also broadcast Siena’s international reputation as one of Europe’s most vital urban centers.