Allegory of Good Government

This fresco, on the walls of the Room of the Nine (Sala dei Nove) or Room of Peace (Sala della Pace) in the Palazzo Pubblico of Siena, are one of the masterworks of early Renaissance secular painting.

The Allegory and Effects of Good and Bad Government  series was commissioned entirely by a civic group, the Council of Nine (the city council). The subject matter in this work is not religious like most artworks of the time, but civic. The Republic of Siena was one of the most powerful of the 14th century Italian city-states. It was an urban hub filled with bankers and merchants, with many international contacts. The 14th century was a turbulent time for politics in the Italian cities. There were constant violent party struggles; governments were overthrown and governments were reinstated.

The enthroned figure symbolizes wise civic government and is flanked by Magnanimity, Temperance, and Justice (on his left) and Prudence, Fortitude, and Peace (on his right). Above are the three virtues, Faith, Charity, and Hope. On the extreme left is another depiction of Justice, looking up at Wisdom; below her sits Concord with a carpenter’s plane on her lap (a symbol of levelling, to signify equality). In her left hand she holds two ropes attached to the scales of Justice, which she passes on to a line of good citizens.