Besides the Confraternity of Saint Catherine of the Night, the other important lay Company with headquarters in the underground rooms of the Hospital was that of the Disciplinati (Flagellants). This Company was founded, in all probability, during the thirteenth century, the period in which its first statutes were issued, but its legendary origins went back to the early Middle Ages, if not even to the time of Saint Ansanus, the baptizer and Patron Saint of Siena, who died a martyr, according to the tradition, in the nearby street of the 'Fosso' (ditch) which now bears his name. The bylaws dictating the requisites for admission and belonging to the Company demanded a rigorous selection of the persons aspiring to membership, chosen from among the most authoritative figures in the ruling class of Siena, who were required by the strict, highly detailed rules to follow an austere way of life, but they also enjoyed great prestige as political counselors and administrators of public charity. Furthermore, the adoption of an insignia with the cross and two ‘disciplines’ (whips) hanging from it symbolized the full adherence of the brothers to the sacrifice of Christ and the penitence of flagellants.

Between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the Company counted among its members some outstanding personalities in Sienese mysticism, such as Saint Bernardo Tolomei and the Blesseds . . .