Chapter 639 The City of Santia
At the end of October, in the Po River Plain, the night before dawn in Santia City gradually became clearer with the outline of the gentle rolling hills to the southeast. The early morning dew hung on the withered yellow weeds, shaking and moistening the entire Po River plain.
There is a blush on the distant horizon, soft but gorgeous. Flocks of flying birds dot the light blue sky, just like a simple yet richly emotional oil painting.
Gradually, a red sun climbed up and pierced the sky. On the steeple of the church in Santia, the cross was covered with a layer of golden color. People have to sigh for the wise design of the architect of the church, and at the same time, they also thank God with unparalleled piety for the light of God coming to this ancient city.
Gradually, the golden color moved downwards, gradually revealing the mystery of this ancient church.
Below the spire, a giant bell about eight and a half feet high hangs in the background, which is as round as the bright moon. This is a clock that wakes up the entire city, a warning when danger is coming, and a testimony of history left in this city.
This huge bell was not built by the church, but was specially built with donations from merchants and gentry in the city. They pursued wealth and land vigorously, but they never skimped on serving God.
In addition, this church located in the center of the city was mostly built with donations from believers. Although the church in the Principality of Lombardy is powerful and owns a large amount of land and wealth under its rule, this does not prevent the citizens of this business-based city from funding the church at all.
The entire church is located in the center of Santia City. The north-south main road that traverses the entire city passes through the wide square on the right side of the church.
Overlooking the entire city of Santia from the distant hills, the church stands upright in the center of the city like an inverted sword. The main body of the entire church is made of regular blocks of marble. These expensive building materials were transported from other countries to the southern port by sea, and then transported to the city through passing caravans.
It is said that the craftsmen who built the church were some of the most famous architects, sculptors and painters in the entire peninsula. Many of the exquisite and magnificent buildings in the Southern Continent were built by them, and these people were even the guests of wealthy businessmen and nobles. Any piece of work they take out will become the target of high-class people rushing to buy it.
It is difficult to imagine how magnificent a church built by these most creative geniuses must be.
Standing at the door of the church, the most eye-catching thing is the artistic main door. Above the fifteen-foot-high arch, there are five smart statues with different postures. They are characters in the Bible, connecting God and his believers. Along the curved edge of the arch, raised lines make the wall more three-dimensional. The pattern curves upward from the middle of both sides of the arch to the entire waist of the church. The upward lines were carved out of the marble walls by craftsmen who spent four months. They are connected in the shape of leaves and extend upward like a trumpet, like a pair of magical hands holding up the entire church.
The wooden door's columns are made from two huge oaks, with large and small patterns carved on them. The column body is painted dark brown, consistent with the entire door, creating a solemn atmosphere. The main body of the gate was made by craftsmen from the weapons workshops in Lombardy. They used the most advanced manufacturing technology in the southern continent and it took a year to complete this beautiful work like a work of art. The complex carvings and delicate lines on the door all tell the exquisite craftsmanship of the Lombard blacksmiths.
The lower part of the church is regular and square, about three hundred feet long from north to south. On one side of the wall stand eight statues of almost the same size, with the main entrance as the center, four in the north and south. In the center of the square is the sacred pool filled with water from the Po River. The holy pool is circular, with a life-size statue of the Virgin standing in the middle.
The upper part uses the tallest spire as the central axis, and four spiers of different sizes and heights are built on the north and south sides. A wooden window is opened below the spire and decorated with glass of different colors.
The sloping roofs are staggered and are paved with brick-red tiles, in sharp contrast to the surrounding black roofs. The undulating roofs extend all the way to the largest free market in the city behind the church.
The free market is the most important trading place for merchants in Santia City. Whether it is flax, grain, and wool from the northern continent, or gold, jewelry, jade, spices, raw silk, or even silk porcelain from the east trafficked from the southern continent to the north, once they arrive in Santia City, except for a few that are directly sent to shops and warehouses throughout the city, most of the goods will enter the largest free market in the city.
Here, traders need to conduct transactions according to the regulations of the city's commercial guild. Once the regulations are found to be in violation, a fine may range from a fine to a disqualification of the merchant from entering the city for trade. In addition, any transaction in the free market requires a certain amount of deposit. The deposit serves as a guarantee for the credit of the merchants and is kept by the commercial guild. The interest generated serves as the daily management cost of the free market.
·To the south of the free market, there are hundreds of shops and warehouses of various sizes scattered along the streets. Pubs and hotels are interspersed throughout, providing food and accommodation for travelers and traders.
The northeastern area of the city is located south of the Sheriff's Department. The luxurious mansions are naturally where the wealthy merchants and nobles in the city live. It's far away from the busy city and relatively quiet. Since the people living here are either rich or noble, the public security is much better than other places in the city.
The southeastern area near the edge of the city seems out of place with everything in the city. As a gathering place for homeless people, beggars, bankrupt farmers and low-status people, this is what people call the flea market, and it gathers a quarter of the city's population.
Hands built randomly with stilts are their habitats, and the stench from the filth everywhere drifts to every corner of the city. Miscellaneous pots and pans were strewn about the ground, and mosquitoes were buzzing and flying in the air above the smelly ditch that passed through the shack.
As the most inconspicuous group of people in this city, they often fight, steal, and rob food in order to survive. People died every day from disease, starvation, and maiming, and the bodies were pulled from here and dumped in a mass grave outside the city. No one remembers who they are, and no one looks at them with pity.
To the west of the flea market, a few blocks away, is a place for men in the city to hang out. Here, there are many beautifully decorated lofts. In addition to providing food and accommodation, gentle, considerate and considerate girls are naturally indispensable.
The people who patronize this place range from wealthy businessmen and high-ranking dignitaries to ordinary citizens, bandits and bandits. Naturally, among them there are certainly soldiers and caravan guards who often come here for recreation.
The north of the city is a cluster of grain stores. The city of Santia is located in the hinterland of the Po River Plain. The surrounding terrain is flat, the soil is fertile, the water source is sufficient, and the sunlight hours are long, thus nurturing tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland. In addition to major food crops such as barley, wheat and oats, it also produces beets, cabbage, carrots, shepherd's purse and various fruits such as grapes, apples and olives. It is a veritable granary.
In addition to being supplied to the entire territory of Lombardy, the wine produced here is also delivered to the tables of many high-ranking officials in Hokuriku through the hands of traders, and is deeply loved by them.
The city of Santia is geographically located in central Lombardy, in the hinterland of the Po River Plain. Because the Po River passes through the territory of Santia City, and the terrain is low and surrounded by gentle hills, it has also been called the River Land since ancient times.
There are many water systems here, connecting north and south, connecting east and west, and commerce is developed, making it the largest commercial city in the northern part of Lombardy except Lavati.
However, the war that lasted for more than a month caused great damage to the prosperous city of Santia.
Ever since Brian Dibber crossed the country and went south to fight with the Principality of Lombardy, the business here began to be affected. With the addition of Provence, Lombardy's trade to the northern continent was completely blocked. Overnight, a large number of traders went bankrupt and the people were in dire straits. Many traders fled here with their families and families.
As the war intensified, no one would have expected that a large area of land on the Po River plain would be captured by the Burgundians in just over a month, and their troops were directed towards the city of Santia. In addition, rumors spread in the city, and the soldiers who escaped described the Burgundy soldiers as monsters from hell and bloodthirsty demons who killed without blinking an eye, even women and children. For a time, people in the city were panicked, and a large number of residents fled.
It wasn't until the Lombardy court sent thousands of soldiers headed by von Bilen to the north that the city of Santia received reassurance.
But the residents who stayed in the city would never have imagined that it was this group of Patriot soldiers who went north to fight against the enemy who brought them disaster in the end.
Just as the residents of Santia were eagerly awaiting the triumphal return of the Patriot Army, this group of soldiers who had been defeated by the Burangdians did not forget to "take care of" the residents of Santia when they fled. Not only did they loot the city's belongings, but also completely destroyed Santia.
In this way, the Lombards handed over this formerly prosperous trading city to the Burgundians.
But the residents of the city were "lucky". The Burangdians who poured into the city were not as ferocious as the Lombard deserters described - they only sought wealth and goods, not murder and arson. After the second round of "looting", the valuables found in Santia City decreased at a speed visible to the naked eye. In this way, the wealth in the city was divided between the warring parties.
A few days ago, there was a battle outside the city, and the city of Sandia, which had been noisy for many days, finally became quiet. As the city gate opened again, people came and went in the city as before.
The difference is that the business travelers who used to walk on the streets have become soldiers who shuttle back and forth now. In addition to patrolling back and forth, they began to work with the residents of the city to repair the devastated city.