Last autumn I was in Siena. After a while I started noticing what I thought was the famous statue of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, suckling on the she wolf. I finally asked someone why this famous symbol of Rome was spread all over Siena.
It turns out that this wasn´t the famous sons of Mars at all! It was his grandsons.
Story has it that Romulus and Remus had a falling out that ended with Remus being slain by his brother. Remus´ sons, Senius and Aschius, ran away taking the statue of the she wolf from the Apollo temple with them.
Their journey ended up in what is now known as, you guessed it, Siena!
I was also told one thing that should help to differentiate between the statues you see in Rome and those in Siena. The wolf in Rome will always be looking over it´s shoulder whereas the one in Siena is looking forward. According to the, Sienese, person who told me this story this is because the Romans are always looking to their past and the Sienese to the future!
If nothing else this should be an encouragement for everyone to go and visit Rome and Siena to check this for themselves, as if you need an excuse!
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