This talk focuses on Parliament Close and Square as the centre of elite power and influence in Edinburgh, considering the juxtaposition, within a tiny area, of the institutions of church, city, state and legal profession, along with some of the major economic powerhouses of the city and Scotland as a whole. The talk takes a broad look at some aspects of the development of these institutions in architectural and urbanistic terms but also focuses on a number of specific cases, especially in relation to the aftermath of the Great Fires of 1824 and the impact that had on the area, especially to the south. Tickets are available via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2002427524630?aff=oddtdtcreator