Exploring the Maesta Fresco in Siena's Palazzo Pubblico

What is the primary function of the General Council Room in the Palazzo Pubblico?

• A marketplace for local traders

• A venue for art exhibitions

• A place for religious ceremonies

• The meeting place for Siena's highest administrative body

What is depicted in Simone Martini's fresco, the Maesta?

• A battle scene

• The Virgin Mary with Jesus, surrounded by apostles and saints

• A landscape of Siena

• A portrait of Simone Martini

Which characteristic is NOT typical of 14th-century Sienese painting as seen in the fresco?

• Elongated figures

• Impossibly long hands and noses

• Dance-like presentation of figures

• Use of vibrant, inexpensive pigments

Why is the Virgin Mary depicted in a secular space like the town hall of Siena?

• She was a popular figure in local folklore

• The town hall was originally a church

• She was considered the protectress of Siena

• It was a common theme in all public buildings

What message does the Virgin Mary convey in the fresco regarding governance?

• Encouragement of individual power

• Indifference to political matters

• Support for the powerful over the weak

• Oversight of the common good and just rule