While Georgiana was touring Venice, she had visited Torcello Island. One of its major sights was the Throne of Attila. Legend had it that when Attila led the Huns in conquering Europe in the fifth century, he had once sat upon that stone throne.
But Venice had still been a fishing village in the fifth century. Attila had had no need to lead an army there. Paris, on the other hand, had truly been besieged by Attila.
At the time, the city was not yet called Paris, but Rome of Gaul. Attila had not entered the city. Rome of Gaul already had exceptionally strong walls, easy to defend and difficult to assault, so he destroyed the routes leading to it, intending to cut off the city's food supply and force it to collapse without a fight.
This siege lasted ten years. Beginning in 476, Childeric I stationed his heavily guarded camp on the right bank of the Seine and built a tall tower to monitor every movement within the city. The citizens of Paris grew accustomed to the threat beyond their walls, living each day in terror, insecurity, and hunger.
This situation deeply saddened Genevieve. At the time, stories of this miraculous holy maiden circulated throughout Paris. It was said that placing holy water she had blessed beneath one's eyes could restore sight to a blind mother, grant health to those plagued by illness, and even bring a boy who had tragically fallen into a well back to life.
Genevieve belonged to Paris's wealthy class, but to her, money was merely an external possession. There were no convents open to women at the time, so the young girl could only wear a veil symbolizing purity, live like an ordinary person, and join them in meditation and prayer.
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