Contradas

Who makes the decisions in a Contrada?
The organization of a Contrada is divided into two fundamental parts. There is the group of leaders, headed by the Capitano (the Captain), which takes care of all matters regarding the Palio. The other group, headed by the Priore, takes care of all other Contrada activities. The Capitano and the Priore (in the Contrada of the Goose he is named Governatore), as well as other Contrada leaders, are elected by the Contrada members to two-year or three-year terms of office.

How many Contradas are there in Siena?
Siena is divided into 17 Contradas which correspond to 17 different areas of the town. The names of the Contradas are: Aquila (Eagle), Bruco (Caterpillar), Chiocciola (Snail), Civetta (Owl), Drago (Dragon), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Porcupine), Leocorno (Unicorn), Lupa (She-Wolf), Nicchio (Shell), Oca (Goose), Onda (Wave), Pantera (Panther), Selva (Forest), Tartuca (Turtle), Torre (Tower), Valdimontone (Ram).

Why, sometimes, are the Contradas called with different names?
Sometimes they are abbreviations: Valdimontone is commonly called Montone and Leocorno is often just called Leco. In other cases the Contrada members refer to their own Contrada by the name of an animal similar to that which represents it. Examples are Riccio (hedgehog) for Istrice, Papero (gosling) for the Goose, and Rospo (toad) for the Tartuca. And frequently, members augment their Contrada's name by adding "-one" to the ending, such as Aquilone (big eagle), Brucone (big caterpillar) and so on. In addition one can refer to a Contrada by the name of the pricipal street, or some other landmark, in the territory. Lastly there are those derogatory names, sometimes given to a Contrada by members of their rival Contrada.

Which rivalries exist between the Contradas?
The rivalries are: Aquila vs Pantera, Chiocciola vs Tartuca, Civetta vs Leocorno, Istrice vs Lupa, Nicchio vs Valdimontone. In addition both Onda and Oca are enemies of Torre. Bruco, Drago, Giraffa and Selva do not have any enemy Contradas.

Why are there enemy Contradas?
There can be several reasons: some rivalries are very old and their exact origin are not really known; others were born in the 1900's. Often they have their roots in boundary disputes and, sometimes, they originated from a specific episode in a particular Palio.

Are the rivalries among Contradas unchanging?
No, relations betweeen Contradas can change over time. The most recent example is that of Bruco and Giraffa: they have been enemies for many years after World War II, but in last few years they decided to stop their rivalry and are now formally in peaceful terms.

What are the relationship between Contradas that are not enemies?
The relationships between Contradas can be of various types and they constitute kind of a complex mosaic, rather difficult to decipher. They range from solid alliances, to normal friendly relations, to cool relationships or even non-existent. These relationships can also change over time and they are influenced by the specific set of circumstances that come about in each Palio.

Are Contradas involved only in the Palio?
No. All year long the Contradas serve serve to provide a common gathering place, fundamental to city life. They organize meetings, social events etc, for the city and for the Contrada members, that span the entire course of the year. The palio, though, remains the climax of all Contrada activities it has a key role to the life of a Contrada.

What is the Contrada baptism?
It is an official Contrada ceremony and is celebrated once a year during the Festa Titolare (the feast day of the Contrada's Patron Saint).
On this occasion the Priore (the administrative head of the Contrada) baptizes, that is to to say, annoints the new Contrada members. Generally it is for newborns, but anyone may be baptized, at any age. Of course, being baptized, one becomes part of the Contrada community and therefore assumes all of the responsabilities and duties of a Contradaiolo.

How does one become a Contradaiolo?
One belongs to a Contrada; you cannot just be a fan of it. It's a fundamental difference. One belongs to a Contrada for right of birth or, if you are born outside the town walls, by parents' affiliation. For those who are not included in these two criteria, let's say that every other criterium can be good but, once they make the choice (enacted by the Contrada baptism), the membership to that Contrada can't anymore be changed.

How did the boundaries between the actual Contradas be fixed?
The definitive disappearance of the last 6 abolished Contradas (Gallo, Leone, Quercia, Vipera, Orso and Spadaforte. Cock, Lion, Oak, Viper, Bear and Strongsword) happened, at least many think so, at the end of the 1600's (about 1675), being them absorbed by the bordering Contradas. The Contradas are so established in the definitive number of 17 and, with the XVIII century, the problem of the territorial division in the town comes back again. Between 1727 and 1729 the boundaries matter bounced from the Magistrato di Biccherna to the Collegio di Balìa, which sent, on August 6 1729, the "Description of the boundaries for each Contrada" to the Consult of State to be approved by the Princess Violante Beatrice of Baviera, who presided this Consult. The division which was approved by the Princess was turned to a proclamation and it was read to the city on January 14, 1730. From that moment the boundaries of the Contradas are definitively fixed, even if one cannot count the tensions and scuffles between bordering Contradas about the interpretation of the Proclamation itself.

What's the smallest Contrada and what's the biggest, concerning the number of members?
The widening of the town outside the historical entourage of the walls brought the problem of the homogeneity among the Contradas having a way out the walls (Contrada members resident near a town gate naturally gravitate around the Contrada to which that gate belongs) and the internal ones. At this moment the most populous Contradas are for this reason Istrice, Nicchio, Chiocciola and Bruco. The smallest ones are on the contrary Civetta, Leocorno, Aquila and Pantera. It is to be noted that some Contradas not having a way out or having a very limitated one, like Torre and Oca or even the same Bruco, can count a considerable population, given the historical popular characteristic of their territory.

Why flags and costumes of the Palio aren't seen much around, during historic festival gatherings, etc?
Allowing Ensigns, Drummers and Pages to go outside Siena, and anyway the concession, even temporary, of anything concerned to the Palio of Siena, is nothing but easy, first of all. One can ask, however, and, all in all, it is the Contrada which decide at the end. By the way the Ensigns of the Palio do not take part to competitions and gatherings of flag players since they are not acrobatic ones: each move and figure effected by them has little to deal with acrobatic shows, being codified by a rather definite ritual which recall the times when flags were used during a battle to send signals.