L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS something exotically incongru- ous; a life-size statue of a rhi- noceros. Or head south-east and there's a triumphant elephant with a tower on its back. Or go south-west, for a stealthy black panther. So what are all these weird and wonderful animals doing up a Tuscan hill? For the answer we need to delve into the secret world of Siena's contradas; a land of fan- t a s t i c a n d f a n t a s y a n i m a l s , unwavering devotion and over 800 years of history. In many Italian cities a con- trada is simply a suburban zone or neighborhood. But here in Siena, the 17 different contradas or districts mean everything to their residents. Each one is like a mini city-state within the his- toric center providing both a physical and symbolic hub for life, family and the community. Loyalty is fierce. And contrada membership is an exclusive affair. Affilliation is normally only granted if you are born within the boundaries of the district, unless you are fortunate enough to be granted rare honorary contradaiolo sta- tus. And all members must also b e b a p t i z e d i n t h e c o n t r a d a fountain, as well as in church. Each one is a strict, tight-knit community able to exert enough control over the city to keep petty crime rates exceptionally low by contemporary standards. Sadly, however, the origins of Siena's contradas, or con- trade in Italian, are largely lost in the mists of time. Some historians suggest that the contrade grew up to supply and house the various merce- nary troops brought in to defend an increasingly rich Siena from its jealous neighbor Florence in the 1200s. Others believe the contradas formed around guilds of workers in different trades and crafts. Or maybe they were just demarcated to make gather- ing taxes easier. No-one's really sure. But at least it's easy to see where each contrada's territory starts and ends as their heraldic animal emblems dot every street corner and building. What's not so clear is exactly where each of the wonderful symbols came from in the first place. Some may have heraldic origins, dating back to old fami- l y c r e s t s . O t h e r s s u c h a s L'Aquila, or eagle, invoke brav- ery, courage and strength in the face of one's enemies so may relate back to a military past when mercenary troops were drafted in. Whilst some, like Bruco or caterpillar, whose resi- dents traditionally worked in the silk trade, appear to use symbol- ogy to link back to old, historic trades. In total modern Siena has seventeen contrade with animals or totems ranging from the exot- ic through fantasy to the slightly m u n d a n e . S u b j e c t s i n c l u d e All districts are wonderfully active all year round with social event, concerts and fundraising dinners Siena has seventeen contrade with animals or totems ranging from the exotic through fantasy to the slightly mundane Continued from page 1 Continued to page 3

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