Misplaced Pages

#486513

110-452: Siena ( / s i ˈ ɛ n ə / see- EN -ə ; Italian: [ˈsjɛːna, ˈsjeːna] ; Latin : Sena Iulia ) is a city in Tuscany , Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena . Siena is the 12th largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 53,062 as of 2022. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been

220-610: A Florentine-Imperial army. The Sienese government entrusted its defence to Piero Strozzi . When the latter was defeated at the Battle of Marciano in August 1554, any hope of relief was lost. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 21 April 1555, marking the end of the Republic. The new Spanish King Philip II , owing huge sums to the House of Medici , ceded Siena's entire territory to

330-718: A few in German , Dutch , Norwegian , Danish and Swedish . Latin is still spoken in Vatican City, a city-state situated in Rome that is the seat of the Catholic Church . The works of several hundred ancient authors who wrote in Latin have survived in whole or in part, in substantial works or in fragments to be analyzed in philology . They are in part the subject matter of the field of classics . Their works were published in manuscript form before

440-521: A major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuries. Siena is also home to the oldest bank in the world , the Monte dei Paschi bank , which has been operating continuously since 1472 (552 years ago)  ( 1472 ) . Several significant Mediaeval and Renaissance painters were born and worked in Siena, among them Duccio di Buoninsegna , Ambrogio Lorenzetti , Simone Martini and Sassetta , and influenced

550-562: A new Classical Latin arose, a conscious creation of the orators, poets, historians and other literate men, who wrote the great works of classical literature , which were taught in grammar and rhetoric schools. Today's instructional grammars trace their roots to such schools , which served as a sort of informal language academy dedicated to maintaining and perpetuating educated speech. Philological analysis of Archaic Latin works, such as those of Plautus , which contain fragments of everyday speech, gives evidence of an informal register of

660-580: A piazza of the same name, was the original headquarters and remains in possession of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena , one of the oldest banks in continuous existence in Europe. Housed in the notable Gothic Palazzo Chigi-Saracini on Via di Città is the Accademia Musicale Chigiana , Siena's conservatory of music . Other churches in the city include: The historic Siena synagogue is also preserved and open to visitors. The city's gardens include

770-495: A population of 80,000, including some 15,000 living in the town of Siena. Siena rivaled Florence in the arts throughout the 13th and 14th centuries: the important late medieval painter Duccio (1253–1319) was a Sienese, but worked across the peninsula. The mural titled "Allegory of Good Government" ( Italian : Allegoria del Buon Governo ) painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in 1338–39 at the Palazzo Pubblico , Siena's town hall,

880-472: A remarkable unity in phonological forms and developments, bolstered by the stabilising influence of their common Christian (Roman Catholic) culture. It was not until the Muslim conquest of Spain in 711, cutting off communications between the major Romance regions, that the languages began to diverge seriously. The spoken Latin that would later become Romanian diverged somewhat more from the other varieties, as it

990-695: A small number of Latin services held in the Anglican church. These include an annual service in Oxford, delivered with a Latin sermon; a relic from the period when Latin was the normal spoken language of the university. In the Western world, many organizations, governments and schools use Latin for their mottos due to its association with formality, tradition, and the roots of Western culture . Canada's motto A mari usque ad mare ("from sea to sea") and most provincial mottos are also in Latin. The Canadian Victoria Cross

1100-522: A total area of 10.755 square kilometres (4.153 sq mi) for a usable agricultural area of 6.954 square kilometres (2.685 sq mi) or about 1 ⁄ 30 of the total municipal area (data ISTAT for the 2000 Agriculture Census V ). There is little manufacturing in the city. One exception is the seasonal confectionery industry, which produces local specialities including panforte , ricciarelli and cavallucci at Christmas, and pane co' santi for I Santi on 1 November and I Morti on

1210-502: A typical inland Mediterranean climate. Average rainfall is 750 mm (29.5 in), with the maximum in November and the minimum in July. July is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 22.2 °C (72.0 °F), and January the coldest. The main activities are tourism, services, agriculture, handicrafts and light industry. In 2009 agricultural activity comprised 919 companies with

SECTION 10

#1733084899487

1320-493: A ward-centric culture from medieval times. Each ward ( contrada ) is represented by an animal or mascot and has its own boundary and distinct identity. Ward rivalries are most rampant during the annual horse race (Palio) in the Piazza del Campo. There are 17 wards (contrada): Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre, Valdimontone. The Palio di Siena

1430-411: Is Veritas ("truth"). Veritas was the goddess of truth, a daughter of Saturn, and the mother of Virtue. Switzerland has adopted the country's Latin short name Helvetia on coins and stamps, since there is no room to use all of the nation's four official languages . For a similar reason, it adopted the international vehicle and internet code CH , which stands for Confoederatio Helvetica ,

1540-420: Is a kind of written Latin used in the 3rd to 6th centuries. This began to diverge from Classical forms at a faster pace. It is characterised by greater use of prepositions, and word order that is closer to modern Romance languages, for example, while grammatically retaining more or less the same formal rules as Classical Latin. Ultimately, Latin diverged into a distinct written form, where the commonly spoken form

1650-626: Is a reversal of the original phrase Non terrae plus ultra ("No land further beyond", "No further!"). According to legend , this phrase was inscribed as a warning on the Pillars of Hercules , the rocks on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar and the western end of the known, Mediterranean world. Charles adopted the motto following the discovery of the New World by Columbus, and it also has metaphorical suggestions of taking risks and striving for excellence. In

1760-472: Is a traditional medieval horse race run around the Piazza del Campo twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August. The event is attended by large crowds, and is widely televised. Ten randomly selected from 17 Contrade (which are city neighbourhoods originally formed as battalions for the city's defence) vie for the trophy: a painted banner, or Palio bearing an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary . Over

1870-560: Is considered a magnificent example of civil Gothic art in the world. During the early 13th century that the majority of the construction of the Siena Cathedral (Duomo) was completed. During the same period the Piazza del Campo grew in importance as the centre of secular life. New streets were constructed leading to it, and it served as the site of the market and the location of various sporting events (perhaps better thought of as riots, in

1980-638: Is highly fusional , with classes of inflections for case , number , person , gender , tense , mood , voice , and aspect . The Latin alphabet is directly derived from the Etruscan and Greek alphabets . Latin remains the official language of the Holy See and the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church at the Vatican City . The church continues to adapt concepts from modern languages to Ecclesiastical Latin of

2090-661: Is modelled after the British Victoria Cross which has the inscription "For Valour". Because Canada is officially bilingual, the Canadian medal has replaced the English inscription with the Latin Pro Valore . Spain's motto Plus ultra , meaning "even further", or figuratively "Further!", is also Latin in origin. It is taken from the personal motto of Charles V , Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain (as Charles I), and

2200-909: Is taught at many high schools, especially in Europe and the Americas. It is most common in British public schools and grammar schools, the Italian liceo classico and liceo scientifico , the German Humanistisches Gymnasium and the Dutch gymnasium . Occasionally, some media outlets, targeting enthusiasts, broadcast in Latin. Notable examples include Radio Bremen in Germany, YLE radio in Finland (the Nuntii Latini broadcast from 1989 until it

2310-531: The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL). Authors and publishers vary, but the format is about the same: volumes detailing inscriptions with a critical apparatus stating the provenance and relevant information. The reading and interpretation of these inscriptions is the subject matter of the field of epigraphy . About 270,000 inscriptions are known. The Latin influence in English has been significant at all stages of its insular development. In

SECTION 20

#1733084899487

2420-512: The Holy See , the primary language of its public journal , the Acta Apostolicae Sedis , and the working language of the Roman Rota . Vatican City is also home to the world's only automatic teller machine that gives instructions in Latin. In the pontifical universities postgraduate courses of Canon law are taught in Latin, and papers are written in the same language. There are

2530-496: The Late Latin period, language changes reflecting spoken (non-classical) norms tend to be found in greater quantities in texts. As it was free to develop on its own, there is no reason to suppose that the speech was uniform either diachronically or geographically. On the contrary, Romanised European populations developed their own dialects of the language, which eventually led to the differentiation of Romance languages . Late Latin

2640-595: The Middle Ages as a working and literary language from the 9th century to the Renaissance , which then developed a classicizing form, called Renaissance Latin . This was the basis for Neo-Latin which evolved during the early modern period . In these periods Latin was used productively and generally taught to be written and spoken, at least until the late seventeenth century, when spoken skills began to erode. It then became increasingly taught only to be read. Latin grammar

2750-561: The Middle Ages , borrowing from Latin occurred from ecclesiastical usage established by Saint Augustine of Canterbury in the 6th century or indirectly after the Norman Conquest , through the Anglo-Norman language . From the 16th to the 18th centuries, English writers cobbled together huge numbers of new words from Latin and Greek words, dubbed " inkhorn terms ", as if they had spilled from a pot of ink. Many of these words were used once by

2860-647: The Orto Botanico dell'Università di Siena , a botanical garden maintained by the University of Siena . The Medicean Fortress houses the Siena Jazz School, with courses and concerts throughout the year, and a festival during the International Siena Jazz Masterclasses. In the neighbourhood are numerous patrician villas, some of which are attributed to Baldassarre Peruzzi : Siena hosts

2970-555: The Palazzo Pubblico with its tall Torre del Mangia . This is part of the site for the Palio horse race. The Palazzo Pubblico, itself a great work of architecture, houses yet another important art museum. Included within the museum is Ambrogio Lorenzetti 's frescoes depicting the Allegory and Effects of Good and Bad Government and also some of the finest frescoes of Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti . The Palazzo Salimbeni , located in

3080-624: The Palio , a horse race held twice a year in Piazza del Campo . Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus . According to local legend, Siena was founded by Senius and Aschius , two sons of Remus and thus nephews of Romulus , after whom Rome

3190-566: The Regione Toscana and the company ONE Scarl . Since 1 November 2021 the public local transport is operated by Autolinee Toscane . Siena is twinned with: Latin language Latin ( lingua Latina , pronounced [ˈlɪŋɡʷa ɫaˈtiːna] , or Latinum [ɫaˈtiːnʊ̃] ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages . Latin

3300-957: The Risorgimento uprisings, Siena was the first city in Tuscany, in 1859, to vote in favour of annexation to the Kingdom of Italy . Siena is located in the central part of Tuscany , in the middle of a vast hilly landscape between the Arbia river valley (south), the Merse valley (south-west), the Elsa valley (north), the Chianti hills (north-east), the Montagnola Senese (west) and the Crete Senesi (south-east). The city lies at 322 m (1,056 ft) above sea level. Siena has

3410-472: The Virgin Mary (this was done several times in the city's history, most recently in 1944 to guard the city from Allied bombs). The man given command of Siena for the duration of the war, Bonaguida Lucari, walked barefoot and bareheaded, a halter around his neck, to Siena Cathedral . Leading a procession composed of all the city's residents, he was met by all the clergy. Lucari and the bishop embraced to show

Siena - Misplaced Pages Continue

3520-407: The common language of international communication , science, scholarship and academia in Europe until well into the early 19th century, by which time modern languages had supplanted it in common academic and political usage. Late Latin is the literary language from the 3rd century AD onward. No longer spoken as a native language, Medieval Latin was used across Western and Catholic Europe during

3630-469: The 12th century, is a masterpiece of Italian Romanesque – Gothic architecture . Its main façade was completed in 1380 with a nave oriented northeast–southwest. A proposed expansion of the eastern transept would have transformed the church into an ambitiously massive basilica, the largest then in the world, with an east–west nave. However, the scarcity of funds, in part due to war and the Black Death, truncated

3740-514: The 12th century, was a vibrant and influential city-state during the medieval and Renaissance periods. Founded on principles of commerce and governance, Siena quickly became a significant player in the region's political landscape. Siena's economy thrived primarily through its wool industry, which was renowned throughout Europe. The city's strategic location along major trade routes further bolstered its prosperity, allowing Siena to establish trade networks that extended across Europe. This economic success

3850-525: The 12th century. The bishop was forced to concede a greater say in the running of the city to the nobility in exchange for their help during a territorial dispute with Arezzo , and this started a process which culminated in 1167 when the commune of Siena declared its independence from episcopal control. By 1179, it had a written constitution. In 1286 the Nove ("the Nine") government was established to rule Siena. The Nove

3960-539: The 13th century. However, the port, swept away during the 14th century by the violent flood that removed the course of the Ombrone from the city, never had any development, also due to the incorrect economic policy of Siena and the lack of a productive background. Siena was devastated by the Black Death of 1348, and also suffered from ill-fated financial enterprises. In 1355, with the arrival of Charles IV of Luxembourg in

4070-630: The 14th and 15th centuries, culminating in a series of wars known as the Italian Wars . These conflicts ultimately weakened Siena's political and economic position. From 1547 to 1552, the Spanish-installed governor of Siena was Diego Hurtado de Mendoza , until he was ousted by a Sienese revolt, which reestablished the Sienese Republic. In the Italian War of 1551–59 , the republic was defeated by

4180-617: The British Crown. The motto is featured on all presently minted coinage and has been featured in most coinage throughout the nation's history. Several states of the United States have Latin mottos , such as: Many military organizations today have Latin mottos, such as: Some law governing bodies in the Philippines have Latin mottos, such as: Some colleges and universities have adopted Latin mottos, for example Harvard University 's motto

4290-733: The Duchy of Florence (apart from a series of coastal fortress annexed to the State of the Presidi ), with which it was merged in 1569 to form the Grand Duchy of Tuscany . An exiled Sienese republican government of 700 Sienese families in Montalcino did not concede defeat in the Battle of Marciano and continued to resist Tuscan rule until 1559. Siena possessed most of the modern day provinces of Grosseto and Siena in

4400-475: The Florentine army killed the standard bearer and in the resulting chaos, the Florentine army broke up and fled the battlefield. Almost half the Florentine army (some 15,000 men) were killed as a result. The period 1260–1355 has been characterized as a "golden age" in Siena. The Republic of Siena in its progressive territorial growth saw its borders expanding especially in the territories of southern Tuscany in

4510-684: The Germanic and Slavic nations. It became useful for international communication between the member states of the Holy Roman Empire and its allies. Without the institutions of the Roman Empire that had supported its uniformity, Medieval Latin was much more liberal in its linguistic cohesion: for example, in classical Latin sum and eram are used as auxiliary verbs in the perfect and pluperfect passive, which are compound tenses. Medieval Latin might use fui and fueram instead. Furthermore,

Siena - Misplaced Pages Continue

4620-580: The Grinch Stole Christmas! , The Cat in the Hat , and a book of fairy tales, " fabulae mirabiles ", are intended to garner popular interest in the language. Additional resources include phrasebooks and resources for rendering everyday phrases and concepts into Latin, such as Meissner's Latin Phrasebook . Some inscriptions have been published in an internationally agreed, monumental, multivolume series,

4730-611: The Latin language. Contemporary Latin is more often studied to be read rather than spoken or actively used. Latin has greatly influenced the English language , along with a large number of others, and historically contributed many words to the English lexicon , particularly after the Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons and the Norman Conquest . Latin and Ancient Greek roots are heavily used in English vocabulary in theology ,

4840-423: The Twelve Priors (1398–1399) who, in the end, gave the city's lordship to Gian Galeazzo Visconti , the Duke of Milan , in order to defend it from Florentine expansionism. Five years later, the House of Visconti was expelled in 1404, and a new government of Ten Priors was established, this time in alliance with Florence against King Ladislaus of Naples . With the election of the Sienese Enea Silvio Piccolomini of

4950-409: The United States the unofficial national motto until 1956 was E pluribus unum meaning "Out of many, one". The motto continues to be featured on the Great Seal . It also appears on the flags and seals of both houses of congress and the flags of the states of Michigan, North Dakota, New York, and Wisconsin. The motto's 13 letters symbolically represent the original Thirteen Colonies which revolted from

5060-447: The University of Kentucky, the University of Oxford and also Princeton University. There are many websites and forums maintained in Latin by enthusiasts. The Latin Misplaced Pages has more than 130,000 articles. Italian , French , Portuguese , Spanish , Romanian , Catalan , Romansh , Sardinian and other Romance languages are direct descendants of Latin. There are also many Latin borrowings in English and Albanian , as well as

5170-451: The author and then forgotten, but some useful ones survived, such as 'imbibe' and 'extrapolate'. Many of the most common polysyllabic English words are of Latin origin through the medium of Old French . Romance words make respectively 59%, 20% and 14% of English, German and Dutch vocabularies. Those figures can rise dramatically when only non-compound and non-derived words are included. Republic of Siena From 1287 to 1355, during

5280-407: The backdrop for some of Dante Alighieri 's Divine Comedy , completed in 1320). On 4 September 1260 the Sienese Ghibellines, supported by the forces of King Manfred of Sicily , defeated the Florentine Guelphs in the Battle of Montaperti . Before the battle, the Sienese army of around 20,000 faced a much larger Florentine army of around 33,000. Prior to the battle, the entire city was dedicated to

5390-535: The beginning of the Renaissance . Petrarch for example saw Latin as a literary version of the spoken language. Medieval Latin is the written Latin in use during that portion of the post-classical period when no corresponding Latin vernacular existed, that is from around 700 to 1500 AD. The spoken language had developed into the various Romance languages; however, in the educated and official world, Latin continued without its natural spoken base. Moreover, this Latin spread into lands that had never spoken Latin, such as

5500-425: The benefit of those who do not understand Latin. There are also songs written with Latin lyrics . The libretto for the opera-oratorio Oedipus rex by Igor Stravinsky is in Latin. Parts of Carl Orff 's Carmina Burana are written in Latin. Enya has recorded several tracks with Latin lyrics. The continued instruction of Latin is seen by some as a highly valuable component of a liberal arts education. Latin

5610-408: The centuries, Siena has had a rich tradition of arts and artists. The list of artists from the Sienese School include Duccio and his student Simone Martini , Pietro Lorenzetti and Martino di Bartolomeo . A number of well-known works of Renaissance and High Renaissance art still remain in galleries or churches in Siena. The Church of San Domenico contains art by Guido da Siena , dating to

SECTION 50

#1733084899487

5720-420: The church and in the subterranean baptistry are Donatello , Lorenzo Ghiberti , Jacopo della Quercia and others. The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo contains Duccio's famous Maestà (1308–11) and various other works by Sienese masters. More Sienese paintings are to be found in the Pinacoteca, e.g. 13th-century works by Dietisalvi di Speme . The Piazza del Campo , the shell-shaped town square, unfurls before

5830-419: The city came from the money exchange and loan activity that the bankers carried out in the city. The oldest documentation regarding Siena's salt customs date back to the 13th century . The revenues from the salt monopoly were a significant source of income for the state. The various centers of the Sienese countryside and their citizens were required to stock up on salt from the Sienese Maremma area, purchasing

5940-450: The city, the population rose and suppressed the government of the Nove council and expelled any family associated with the Noveschi party. They established a Dodici government (council of 12 nobles), assisted by another council with a popular majority. This form of government was short-lived, soon replaced by the Quindici ("The Fifteen") reformers in 1385, the Dieci ("The Ten", 1386–1387), Undici ("The Eleven", 1388–1398) and

6050-430: The comic playwrights Plautus and Terence and the author Petronius . While often called a "dead language", Latin did not undergo language death . By the 6th to 9th centuries, natural language change eventually resulted in Latin as a vernacular language evolving into distinct Romance languages in the large areas where it had come to be natively spoken. However, even after the fall of Western Rome , Latin remained

6160-412: The country's full Latin name. Some film and television in ancient settings, such as Sebastiane , The Passion of the Christ and Barbarians (2020 TV series) , have been made with dialogue in Latin. Occasionally, Latin dialogue is used because of its association with religion or philosophy, in such film/television series as The Exorcist and Lost (" Jughead "). Subtitles are usually shown for

6270-463: The course of Italian and European art. The University of Siena , originally called Studium Senese , was founded in 1240, making it one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world. Siena was an important city in medieval Europe, and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , which contains several buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries. The city is famous for its cuisine , art , museums , medieval cityscape and

6380-425: The current province of Grosseto . The possession of an "access to the sea" by Siena was therefore a natural continuation of its expansionary and commercial policy in the Maremma with the conquest of the ports of Talamone , Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano . In order to ensure access to maritime traffic and a competitive sales network, Siena already tried to secure the use of the Grosseto river port in

6490-427: The day of his liturgical anniversary came to mark the beginning of the "Contrada Year". Feudal power waned, however, and by the death of Countess Matilda in 1115 the border territory of the March of Tuscany which had been under the control of her family, the Canossa, broke up into several autonomous regions. This ultimately resulted in the creation of the Republic of Siena . The Republic of Siena, established in

6600-429: The decline in written Latin output. Despite having no native speakers, Latin is still used for a variety of purposes in the contemporary world. The largest organisation that retains Latin in official and quasi-official contexts is the Catholic Church . The Catholic Church required that Mass be carried out in Latin until the Second Vatican Council of 1962–1965 , which permitted the use of the vernacular . Latin remains

6710-503: The development of European culture, religion and science. The vast majority of written Latin belongs to this period, but its full extent is unknown. The Renaissance reinforced the position of Latin as a spoken and written language by the scholarship by the Renaissance humanists . Petrarch and others began to change their usage of Latin as they explored the texts of the Classical Latin world. Skills of textual criticism evolved to create much more accurate versions of extant texts through

SECTION 60

#1733084899487

6820-418: The direct control of Siena and from neighboring states. For an efficient exploitation of grazing activity, the Sienese government decided to create a special office, called "Dogana dei paschi" , which was responsible for managing the tariff system connected to livestock breeding. The internal structure of the Dogana dei Paschi was made up of a treasurer and nine officers among whom a "unimpeachable chief"

6930-399: The division between the so-called Old State, i.e. Florence, and the New State, i.e. Siena and the southern part up to Pitigliano , with different laws and taxes. With the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici , (1737), who had no children, the Medici dynasty ended and the Grand Duchy passed into the hands of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty who kept it until 1799. After the Napoleonic period and

7040-413: The earliest extant Latin literary works, such as the comedies of Plautus and Terence . The Latin alphabet was devised from the Etruscan alphabet . The writing later changed from what was initially either a right-to-left or a boustrophedon script to what ultimately became a strictly left-to-right script. During the late republic and into the first years of the empire, from about 75 BC to AD 200,

7150-422: The execution of his father-in-law Niccolò Borghese for conspiracy to murder him, as well as with the support of Florence and of Alfonso of Calabria , Pandolfo was able to seize complete control of the city. Though a tyrant, Pandolfo brought Siena back to prosperity, favoring arts and sciences, as well as improving its economy. Pandolfo was succeeded by his son Borghese Petrucci . After only 4 years of rule, Borghese

7260-404: The fashion of the Florentine football matches that are still practised to this day). A wall was constructed in 1194 at the current site of the Palazzo Pubblico to stop soil erosion, an indication of how important the area was becoming as a civic space. The limits on the Roman town were the earliest known walls to the city. During the 10th and 11th centuries, the town grew to the east and later to

7370-445: The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and some important texts were rediscovered. Comprehensive versions of authors' works were published by Isaac Casaubon , Joseph Scaliger and others. Nevertheless, despite the careful work of Petrarch, Politian and others, first the demand for manuscripts, and then the rush to bring works into print, led to the circulation of inaccurate copies for several centuries following. Neo-Latin literature

7480-424: The following day. The area has also seen a growth in biotechnology . The Centenary Institute Sieroterapico Achille Sclavo used to be Swiss-owned, operating under the company name, Novartis Vaccines. Novartis developed and produced vaccines and employed about a thousand people. In 2015, the research plant in Siena became part of Glaxo Smith Kline , as part of a deal between Novartis and this firm. Siena retains

7590-428: The good at a fixed price. The growth of trade linked to Grosseto salt pans, capable of satisfying the needs of nearby Perugia and neighboring nations, led to the establishment in 1323 of a new organization, called "Monte e Sale" , which simultaneously performed the administration of the monopoly and banking duties. From the end of the 14th century part of the proceeds deriving from the salt monopoly were destined to

7700-435: The history of Latin, and the kind of informal Latin that had begun to move away from the written language significantly in the post-Imperial period, that led ultimately to the Romance languages . During the Classical period, informal language was rarely written, so philologists have been left with only individual words and phrases cited by classical authors, inscriptions such as Curse tablets and those found as graffiti . In

7810-423: The iconic Duomo di Siena and the Palazzo Pubblico , remains a testament to its cultural achievements during this period. During the golden age of Siena before the Black Death in 1348, the city was home to 50,000 people. Despite its cultural and economic prowess, the Republic faced external threats and conflicts, particularly from its rival Florence . The rivalry between Siena and Florence intensified throughout

7920-679: The invention of printing and are now published in carefully annotated printed editions, such as the Loeb Classical Library , published by Harvard University Press , or the Oxford Classical Texts , published by Oxford University Press . Latin translations of modern literature such as: The Hobbit , Treasure Island , Robinson Crusoe , Paddington Bear , Winnie the Pooh , The Adventures of Tintin , Asterix , Harry Potter , Le Petit Prince , Max and Moritz , How

8030-675: The language of the Roman Rite . The Tridentine Mass (also known as the Extraordinary Form or Traditional Latin Mass) is celebrated in Latin. Although the Mass of Paul VI (also known as the Ordinary Form or the Novus Ordo) is usually celebrated in the local vernacular language, it can be and often is said in Latin, in part or in whole, especially at multilingual gatherings. It is the official language of

8140-405: The language, Vulgar Latin (termed sermo vulgi , "the speech of the masses", by Cicero ). Some linguists, particularly in the nineteenth century, believed this to be a separate language, existing more or less in parallel with the literary or educated Latin, but this is now widely dismissed. The term 'Vulgar Latin' remains difficult to define, referring both to informal speech at any time within

8250-411: The main challenges faced by many Italian city-states of that period. Culturally, Siena flourished during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance , producing notable artists such as Duccio di Buoninsegna and Ambrogio Lorenzetti . These artists, along with architects and scholars, contributed to the city's rich artistic and intellectual heritage. Siena's distinctive Gothic architecture, exemplified by

8360-569: The main culprits and to severely call the Sienese to greater respect for Roman authority. At the end of the third century the city was Christianized by Sant'Ansano , known as the "Baptizer of the Sienese", who was punished by the Roman authorities governing Siena with the test of fire and boiling oil, imprisonment and finally beheading. During the Middle Ages he was therefore named patron saint of Siena, and

8470-431: The meanings of many words were changed and new words were introduced, often under influence from the vernacular. Identifiable individual styles of classically incorrect Latin prevail. Renaissance Latin, 1300 to 1500, and the classicised Latin that followed through to the present are often grouped together as Neo-Latin , or New Latin, which have in recent decades become a focus of renewed study , given their importance for

8580-637: The mid-13th century. Duccio's Maestà , which was commissioned by the City of Siena in 1308, was instrumental in leading Italian painting away from the hieratic representations of Byzantine art and directing it towards more direct presentations of reality. And his Madonna and Child with Saints polyptych , painted between 1311 and 1318, remains at the city's Pinacoteca Nazionale . The Pinacoteca also includes several works by Domenico Beccafumi , as well as art by Lorenzo Lotto , Domenico di Bartolo and Fra Bartolomeo . The Siena Cathedral ( Duomo ), begun in

8690-659: The name from the Etruscan family name Saina , the Roman family name Saenii , or the Latin word senex "old" or its derived form seneo "to be old". The first known document of the Sienese community dates back to 70 AD: the Roman Senator Manlio Patruito reported to Rome that he had been ridiculed with a fake funeral during his official visit to Saena Iulia, a small military colony in Tuscia. The Roman Senate decided to punish

8800-484: The north, in what is now the Camollia district. Walls were built to totally surround the city, and a second set was finished by the end of the 13th century. Much of these walls still exist today. On December 26, 1240, Ildebrandino Cacciaconti, the then podestà of Siena, signed a decree imposing a tax on citizens of Siena who rented rooms to students of the local "Studium Senese" . The money from this tax went to pay for

8910-555: The payment of rents on the capital lent by state creditors, in order to face the growing public debt of the Republic. Subsequently, a union of the "Dogane dei paschi" and the salt was also attempted to improve the state financial capacities; however, as early as 1519 the various administrations returned divided. The vast plots of grazing land in the Valdichiana and the Maremma Senese attracted shepherds from both territories under

9020-524: The popular faction ousting the Noveschi party supported by Pope Clement VII : the latter sent an army, but was defeated at Camollia in 1526. Emperor Charles V took advantage of the chaotic situation to put a Spanish garrison in Siena. From 1529 until 1541 the republic was governed by Alfonso Piccolomini . The citizens expelled him in 1552, allying with France : this was unacceptable for Charles, who sent his general Gian Giacomo Medici to lay siege to it with

9130-628: The project. Two walls of this expanded eastern transept remain; through an internal staircase, visitors can climb for a grand view of the city. The Siena Cathedral Pulpit is an octagonal 13th-century masterpiece sculpted by Nicola Pisano with lion pedestals and biblical bas-relief panels. The inlaid marble mosaic floor of the cathedral, designed and laboured on by many artists, is among the most elaborate in Italy. The Sacristy and Piccolomini library have well-preserved Renaissance frescos by Ghirlandaio and Pinturicchio respectively. Other sculptors active in

9240-569: The prominent Piccolomini noble family as Pope Pius II in 1458, the nobles who had been expelled due to association with the Noveschi party were allowed to return to the city. In 1472 the Siena magistrates founded a " mount of piety ", the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena , which would survive into the 21st century as "the world's oldest bank". The Noveschi returned to the city under Pandolfo Petrucci in 1487. Pandolfo slowly gathered many political offices and grew his influence until 1500, when with

9350-483: The region of Tuscany in central Italy, including a coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea . A notable exception is the hill town of Montepulciano 70 km (43 mi) southeast of Siena, which was claimed by the neighbouring Florence , and was a constant source of hostility between the two city-states. In the mid-16th century the Republic's territory had an area of approximately 8,000 km (3,100 sq mi) and

9460-482: The rival Duchy of Florence during the Italian War of 1551–1559 . Despite resisting for 18 months, it surrendered on 21 April 1555, marking the end of the republic. The foundation of the Republic of Siena is traditionally dated to 1125, the year in which the last reigning representative of the Government of Bishops was deposed, at the time at the head of the city and the surrounding countryside. A consular government

9570-529: The rival Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown. After 18 months of resistance, Siena surrendered to Spain on 17 April 1555, marking the end of the republic. After the fall of the Republic, a few Sienese led by the Florentine exile Piero Strozzi , not wanting to accept the fall of the Republic, took refuge in Montalcino , creating the Republic of Siena sheltered in Montalcino. It lived until 31 May 1559 when it

9680-406: The roughly paved Via Santa Caterina leading into the center of the medieval city. Siena Mobilità was a consortium established in 2005, formed by Tiemme Toscana Mobilità , Busitalia Sita Nord e ByBus , to manage the local public transport in Siena, in its province and regional service to Florence and Arezzo . From 1 January 2018 Siena Mobilità operated by virtue of the bridge contract between

9790-552: The rule of the Noveschi , the Republic experienced a period of great political and economic splendor: new buildings were commissioned, including that of the Cathedral of Siena , the Palazzo Pubblico , and a substantial part of the city walls completed. This government is in fact defined by historians as the "good governance". A combination of economic decline, sparked by the Black Death , and political instability led to its absorption by

9900-503: The salaries of the maestri (teachers) of the new University of Siena . The studium was further supported when, in 1252, Pope Innocent IV declared both its teachers and students exempt from taxes and forced labour levied on their person or property by the city of Siena. Moreover, the commune exempted teachers of law and Latin from their public duties. By the early 14th century, there were five teachers of Latin, logic and law and two doctors of natural sciences (medicine). Nowadays,

10010-421: The sciences , medicine , and law . A number of phases of the language have been recognized, each distinguished by subtle differences in vocabulary, usage, spelling, and syntax. There are no hard and fast rules of classification; different scholars emphasize different features. As a result, the list has variants, as well as alternative names. In addition to the historical phases, Ecclesiastical Latin refers to

10120-523: The start and finish of the Strade Bianche , a professional cycling race famous for its historic white gravel roads, called strade bianche or sterrati in Italian. More than 50 kilometres (31 miles) of the race is run over dirt roads, usually country lanes and farm tracks twisting through the hills and vineyards of the Chianti region. The finish is on the Piazza del Campo , after a steep and narrow climb on

10230-618: The styles used by the writers of the Roman Catholic Church from late antiquity onward, as well as by Protestant scholars. The earliest known form of Latin is Old Latin, also called Archaic or Early Latin, which was spoken from the Roman Kingdom , traditionally founded in 753 BC, through the later part of the Roman Republic , up to 75 BC, i.e. before the age of Classical Latin . It is attested both in inscriptions and in some of

10340-533: The surroundings of Montebeccari in 1177 from Count Tedini of Frosini , and in the following century those of Roccastrada and Muceto from the Aldobrandeschi family . The Republic of Siena, however, did not directly manage the extractive activities on its own, but preferred to contract out the mines so as not to have the expenses fall on the state budget. Sienese interests in Maremma grew progressively over time: in 1334

10450-464: The unity of church and state, then Lucari formally gave the city and contrade to the Virgin. Legend has it that a thick white cloud descended on the battlefield, giving the Sienese cover and aiding their attack. The reality was that the Florentine army launched several fruitless attacks against the Sienese army during the day, then when the Sienese army countered with their own offensive, traitors within

10560-557: The university is still among the most important Italian universities. In 1472 the Republic founded the Monte dei Paschi , a bank that is still active today and is the oldest surviving bank in the world. The Republic was an important commercial center: wheat and salt were produced, coming from the Maremma region. It also controlled, thanks to a monopoly agreement stipulated with the Aldobrandeschi family , wool and other agricultural products, such as wine . The main economic resource of

10670-422: The written form of Latin was increasingly standardized into a fixed form, the spoken forms began to diverge more greatly. Currently, the five most widely spoken Romance languages by number of native speakers are Spanish , Portuguese , French , Italian , and Romanian . Despite dialectal variation, which is found in any widespread language, the languages of Spain, France, Portugal, and Italy have retained

10780-779: Was also used as a convenient medium for translations of important works first written in a vernacular, such as those of Descartes . Latin education underwent a process of reform to classicise written and spoken Latin. Schooling remained largely Latin medium until approximately 1700. Until the end of the 17th century, the majority of books and almost all diplomatic documents were written in Latin. Afterwards, most diplomatic documents were written in French (a Romance language ) and later native or other languages. Education methods gradually shifted towards written Latin, and eventually concentrating solely on reading skills. The decline of Latin education took several centuries and proceeded much more slowly than

10890-493: Was appointed to administer the state in its early term. As in most of the medieval municipal cities, Siena too had the Consuls as its first development of the judiciary. In 1125 the office of Consul Sænensis was attributed to Manco. Siena prospered as a city-state , becoming a major centre of money lending and an important player in the wool trade. At first it was governed directly by its bishop, but episcopal power declined during

11000-515: Was backed by the Noveschi , a political party formed by the merchant families that sat on the council. Eventually, the Noveschi party grew to include not only members of the Nove council, but also many prominent noble families of the city. Under the guide of the Nove and the Noveschi, Siena grew in both economic and military dominance. In the 13th century, Siena was predominantly Ghibelline , in opposition to Florence's Guelph position (this conflict formed

11110-497: Was betrayed by the French allies, whom Siena had always supported, concluding with the Peace of Cateau Cambrésis with Charles V , which effectively ceded the Republic to the Medici. The House of Medici , apart from the brief parenthesis of Ferdinando I , who tried to create an organized state, were not able to give a stable structure to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany , keeping almost unchanged

11220-512: Was elected. The latter was stationed in Maremma, from where he directed a group of vergari submitted to him for the observance of the laws of the Republic and control of the territory. From the 12th century the interest of Siena towards mining research increased as silver and copper mines in the Sienese Maremma that were abandoned in the Roman period were re-established. Besides the mines of Montieri , Siena obtained other silver mines in

11330-491: Was extensive and prolific, but less well known or understood today. Works covered poetry, prose stories and early novels, occasional pieces and collections of letters, to name a few. Famous and well regarded writers included Petrarch, Erasmus, Salutati , Celtis , George Buchanan and Thomas More . Non fiction works were long produced in many subjects, including the sciences, law, philosophy, historiography and theology. Famous examples include Isaac Newton 's Principia . Latin

11440-499: Was largely separated from the unifying influences in the western part of the Empire. Spoken Latin began to diverge into distinct languages by the 9th century at the latest, when the earliest extant Romance writings begin to appear. They were, throughout the period, confined to everyday speech, as Medieval Latin was used for writing. For many Italians using Latin, though, there was no complete separation between Italian and Latin, even into

11550-467: Was named. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants ( Capitoline Wolf ), thus appropriating that symbol for the town. Additionally they rode white and black horses, giving rise to the Balzana , or coat of arms of Siena with a white band atop a dark band. Some claim the name Siena derives from Senius. Other etymologies derive

11660-710: Was originally spoken by the Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio ), the lower Tiber area around Rome , Italy. Through the expansion of the Roman Republic it became the dominant language in the Italian Peninsula and subsequently throughout the Roman Empire . By the late Roman Republic , Old Latin had evolved into standardized Classical Latin . Vulgar Latin refers to the less prestigious colloquial registers , attested in inscriptions and some literary works such as those of

11770-538: Was ousted by his cousin, cardinal Raffaello Petrucci , helped by Pope Leo X . In the wake of more responsibilities from the Church, Raffaello was forced to cede the city to his nephew, Francesco Petrucci, who only ruled for a year before being ousted by Pandolfo's youngest son, Fabio. Fabio was exiled in 1525 by the Sienese people, marking the end of the Petrucci era. With the end of the Petrucci era internal strife resumed, with

11880-515: Was perceived as a separate language, for instance early French or Italian dialects, that could be transcribed differently. It took some time for these to be viewed as wholly different from Latin however. After the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 and Germanic kingdoms took its place, the Germanic people adopted Latin as a language more suitable for legal and other, more formal uses. While

11990-478: Was shut down in June 2019), and Vatican Radio & Television, all of which broadcast news segments and other material in Latin. A variety of organisations, as well as informal Latin 'circuli' ('circles'), have been founded in more recent times to support the use of spoken Latin. Moreover, a number of university classics departments have begun incorporating communicative pedagogies in their Latin courses. These include

12100-514: Was supported by a well-developed banking system and a strong guild structure that regulated various trades and professions. Politically, the Republic of Siena was governed by a complex system of councils and magistrates, dominated by powerful noble families who competed for influence and control. The city's political structure evolved over time, with periodic reforms aimed at balancing power and maintaining stability. However, internal rivalries often led to factionalism and occasional civil unrest, one of

#486513