1.0Via Mediahttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/viamediaawelbornhttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/viamedia/author/awelbornrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="mYCx6999G7"><a href="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/viamedia/2006/09/pavian-serendipity.html">Pavian Serendipity</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/viamedia/2006/09/pavian-serendipity.html/embed#?secret=mYCx6999G7" width="600" height="338" title="“Pavian Serendipity” — Via Media" data-secret="mYCx6999G7" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> I’m reading a book about the Papal States (gripping! page-turner! Um…actually…sort of.) and Pavia, a place I’d never heard of before, kept coming up last night. It was the center of Lombard rule, the Lombards being the people who put Rome and environs under constant threat in the 7th and 8th centuries (hence….Lombardy), and folks…http://amywelborn.typepad.com/openbook/images/cottagesjun05d7751sar800.jpg