L'Italo-Americano

NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 3 everything from porcupines to panthers, giraffes to geese and dragons to snails. And each dis- trict proudly brands their streets accordingly with ceramic tiles of their exotic icons fixed high up on every wall, often next to the street signs. M a n y d i s t r i c t s a l s o h a v e large statues to their emblem, hence the elephants, dolphins, panthers and rhinoceros stalking the Senese streets. So navigating the city becomes a wonderful zoological treasure hunt, eyes peeled for the next animal as you move from one neighbor- hood to the next, often simply by crossing the street or turning a corner. And districts are wonderfully active all year round with social events, concerts and fundraising dinners. So instead of focusing on old military or trade func- tions, Siena's contradas now have much broader roles. And every important event in con- tradaiolo's life takes place in their own district. From birth to baptism, marriage to mother- hood, church to cultural holi- days and even death, everything centers around the contrada. D e l v e a l i t t l e d e e p e r a n d you'll also discover that each borough has its own church, museum, social club, archive and even fountain that flows with wine when the district wins the prestigious Palio horserace. But there would be no competi- tion without the rival contrade to compete against each other; the two go hand in glove in a timeless ceremonial civil war. Ultimately, whilst Siena is best known around the world for i t s f l a m b o y a n t , a d r e n a l i n e - fueled Palio, it's actually the lit- tle known contradas and their contradaioli that make the city tick. And although the historic hilltop center is only relatively small in comparison to neigh- bors like Florence, and the con- t r a d a s c o n s i s t o f j u s t a f e w s t r e e t s a n d a l l e y s , l i f e i s extremely rich, sophisticated and well organized. It's a model for civic government that any town council would be proud of. But what makes it work is the unparalleled sense of communi- ty, belonging and civic pride that each contrada holds. It's a patriotism stronger than any national flag meaning that locals c o u n t t h e m s e l v e s a s c o n - t r a d a i o l i f i r s t a n d f o r e m o s t , then Senese citizens and then Italians. So next time you're strolling through the streets of Siena, gazing at the wonderful Medieval architecture, look up; you may just have entered the extraordinary land of the Tuscan rhinoceros! Each disttrict pproudly brands their streets with ceramic tiles of their exotic icons fixed high up on every wall, often next to the street sign Continued from page 2

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