In “Siena and the Virgin” Diana Norman examines the special and privileged relationship between the Sienese and the Blessed Virgin Mary. At once a symbol of civic pride and an object of religious devotion, innumerable celebratory works of Mary were commissioned both within the city of Siena and within the contado, Siena’s extensive subject territories. Norman explores the particular significance of such Marian artworks – how they were understood by the Sienese and their function both in politics and religion.