Siena, it’s time for Palio!
Posted by admin in Archive, Events on 12. Aug, 2011 | 0 Comments
The most awaited moment of the year in Siena is arrived: on Tuesday 16th August will be the day of Palio dell’Assunta where 10 Contradas will run for the drappellone, painted this year by Francesco Carone, Senese artist from Contrada of Unicorn. First of all we give you some information about the meetings of the [...]
The Contrada of Goose won the Palio on July 2nd
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture, Events on 05. Jul, 2011 | 0 Comments
On Saturday 2nd July took place the traditional Palio di Provenzano (in honour of the Madonna di Provenzano), the first important event in Siena this year for contrade. It was a dramatic edition caused by some accidents (some tests were postponed because of the rain) and above all the death of the horse Messi of Contrada [...]
Previews on the next edition of Palio and the “rag”
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture, Events on 08. Feb, 2011 | 0 Comments
The trophy of Palio di Siena that is assigned to the winning contrada is called drappellone (banner) or the “rag” and is a hand-painted piece of silk with the size of an elongated rectangle. Every year a different artist must to paint the drappellone, so is a unique artwork that represents the history of Siena [...]
The most famous jockey in Siena now prepares cuisine menus
Posted by admin in Archive, Food & Wine on 01. Feb, 2011 | 0 Comments
Two prestigious Senese traditions are meeting, and find a perfect synthesis in a very known person: Andrea Degortes nicknamed Aceto, the jockey who won the Palio 14 times, now manages the Millevini restaurant, inside the Enoteca Italiana. These are the origins of Aceto: Degortes, born in Sardinia and then moved to Tuscany, is called “King [...]
Siena’s contrade: The Contrada of the Unicorn
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture on 15. Oct, 2010 | 0 Comments
This Contrada has a very unusual history indeed; first of all its name has changed through the centuries. During early public celebrations in Siena, the Popolo di Pantaneto presented a series of festive carriages under the name of “Leocorno”, which represented stars, leopards, unicorns or other animals or themes depending on the occasion. Through time, [...]
The Imperial Contrada of the Giraffe
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture on 06. Oct, 2010 | 0 Comments
The Contrada of the Giraffe vaunts the name of Imperial after winning the Palio of 2 July 1936, by a decree issued by Victor Emanuele III of Savoia. The first mention of the Contrada was from the description of the Gioco della Pugna (an ancient type of boxing tournament) of 1424 described in the writings [...]
La Maestà by Duccio di Buoninsegna: an emblematic work of art of the Italian 1300′s
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture on 05. Oct, 2010 | 0 Comments
The masterpiece Maestà is the greatest expression of the Duccio of Buoninsegna’s artistic genius. Duccio was born in Siena in about 1255 and at height of his artistic career, he was entrusted with painting the main central “pala” or painted altarpiece in the Duomo of Siena. He laboured on this work from 1308 in his [...]
La Contrada Priora della Civetta (Owl)
Posted by admin in Archive, Events on 31. Aug, 2010 | 0 Comments
On the 16 August 2009 the Palio dell’Assunta was won by the Contrada della Civetta, thanks to the tenacity of the horse Istriceddu and his jockey. The Contrada hadn’t won this race since 1979. Going back in time, the first time this Contrada won the Palio was on the 2 July 1664 and in 1673 [...]
The Palio dell’Assunta: Siena’s great event
Posted by admin in Archive, Events on 16. Aug, 2010 | 0 Comments
In the early afternoon of the 16 August, just as the peals of the Sunto — the huge bell at the top of the Mangia Tower — are heard, the flag-wavers start their elegant, rhythmical dance. The protagonists or “characters”, wonderfully adorned in costumes jealously coveted in museums, form a historical procession known as the [...]
Siena’s Contrade: The Contrada of the Chiocciola (Snail)
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture, Events on 16. Aug, 2010 | 0 Comments
The first Contrada to be cited in history and still today bears its original name is the Chiocciola (Snail), named by the Sienese storyteller Gentile Sermini when describing the game of “punga” (an old form of boxing) in the XV century. The characteristic silver coat of arms of the Contrada incorporates a snail against a [...]
Siena and its Contrade: The Noble Contrada of the Eagle
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture on 16. Aug, 2010 | 0 Comments
La Nobile Contrada dell’Aquila is one of the seventeen historical subdivision of the Tuscan city of Siena. The origins of the coat of arms derives from the noble family of the Marescotti, who resided in this area in ancient times. Aquila was the last contrada of Siena to participate in the Palio. After the victory [...]
Siena and preparing for the Palio
Posted by admin in Archive, Events on 14. Aug, 2010 | 0 Comments
On the 13 August, four days before the Palio dell’Assunta is held, the ancient ceremony or “tratta” takes place which involves a draw to assign the horses (known as barberi) to the ten winning Contrade. The horse assigned to each Contrada “is considered as destiny“: under no circumstances can the horse be changed even if [...]
The Church of Provenzano in Siena
Posted by admin in Archive, Culture on 19. Jul, 2010 | 1 Comment
The Mannerist Church of Santa Maria di Provenzano or simply la Chiesa di Provenzano is one of the oldest buildings Siena constructed after the after conquest of the city by the Medici family. In the area of the city which today corresponds to the Contrada of the Giraffe, we find it following Vicolo del Fontino, [...]
