I'm John Batchel, Siena, Italy, and in the Palazzo Publica, a 700-year-old work of art by a man named Ambrosio Lazzaret, Lorenzetti.

I welcome my colleague and friend Bernique de Reggie, who's just returned from that moment in Palazzo Poublica, with a revelation about how governments go well and governments go poorly.

And the poorly side seems to have a lot in common with confiscation of wealth

and other overreaching governmental attitudes in your life.

Very carefully, Veronique, you give us a lesson that 700 years ago was apparent to the people of Siena.

What is the lesson?

What could we learn from that painting?

Good evening to you.

Good evening, John.

So it's really interesting because actually this painting was, was actually it's a fresco and it's

on over three walls in what is effectively the public the the the the public office where a government

representative of sienna had to spend two months.

And it was really actually directed at them.

It wasn't for the people.

And it was to remind them what happens if they fall and basically stop following the rule of law,

become arbitrary, forget about justice, forget about peace, and become arbitrary and

greedy and start violating people's right.

And so on one side, on one side you have, you have the picture of what happens if the government is actually there to protect the rule of law and all that good stuff.

And on the other end is how it will destroy the society if they don't.

But what is interesting about it is like it was really actually directed at politicians

rather than the people.

But yes, it's a good lesson for us today to know that Sienna was trying to warn its politicians.

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