Siena's Palazzo Pubblico during the Palio This October Siena is offering a few freebies. No, sadly not free wine for everybody, but at least some fine events which are part of this month's Festival Contemporaneamente Barocco Siena . FCBS is in its 4th year, thanks also to the generous financial help of Monte dei Paschi di Siena. MPS is also known as the world's oldest bank (founded in 1472) and the bank's Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation is one of the main sponsors of anything cultural happening around here. This on a side note, as I've read a lot this week about a great exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence called Money and Beauty. Bankers, Botticelli and the Bonfire of the Vanities . Read Artrav's and the Telegraph's review on it. From my humble experience I'd say that at least Southern Tuscany's cultural life in the 21st century is as dependent form the region's main bank as it was during Rena...