Part III. Italy Chapter 53. Siena [April 8, 1348] Cultural Explanations

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	In this chapter Bávlos helps Nieiddash give birth and saves a little baby
Siena, Giovanni

In this chapter, Bávlos journeys with his new Franciscan friends to the city of Siena. Like other great cities of Tuscany, Siena was home to major houses of both the Dominican and the Franciscan orders. San Domenico is the great church of the Dominicans in the city, today one of the main repositories of the relics of St. Catherine of Siena. The equally lavish Franciscan house in Siena is located at the other end of the city.

San Domenico, Siena	Franciscan Priory, Siena

The house in which St. Catherine grew up is today a major shrine, with a beautiful chapel decorated with pictures from the saint's life. The building helps illustrate the relative wealth and standing that a merchant such as Catherine's father enjoyed in the fourteenth century. In fact, it was the worldly aims of Catherine's father--particularly his desire to find an affluent husband for his daughter--that led to the family's greatest conflicts. In the end, Catherine refused to marry and lived instead as a Dominican Tertiary--a secular woman who nonetheless vowed a life of chastity and service.

The great cathedral of Siena is far larger than the churches of either order and contains some of the most beautiful sculpture and artwork of all Tuscany. Its distinctive striped appearance derives from the use of black and white marble. In 1339, the city's leaders okayed plans to expand the cathedral greatly, making the current cathedral just a small side wing of the gargantuan planned building. Builders had completed construction of a massive new tower along with the beginnings of one of the new walls when the Plague hit, halting the project forever. Today, the remains of the expansion project can be visited, its walls affording some of the most striking views of the city as a whole.

Cathedral of Siena, along with new tower	Interior of Cathedral	One of the walls constructed for the planned expansion of the Cathedral