The city’s history, its greatness, government, and “virtues”, are presented to citizens through the building and decoration of the town hall or other official buildings. Representative public buildings often also exemplify the spread of the new or official style, with construction projects attracting many foreign artists and craftsmen to the city. The decorative schemes in the buildings often represent actual political situations but, primarily, alert the viewer to the personal virtues of those who commissioned, worked within, or made use of them.