Il Nostro Appartamento a Siena: Our Apartment in Siena
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| The View of San Dominica from Outside Our Apartment |
As previously noted, our apartment, Via di Diacceto 21, is in the historic city center near the Piazza del Campo and the Duomo.
These divisions were set in place in the early 1700s in Il Bando di Violante di Baviera: The Notice of Violante of Bavaria . This document is still used today to deter-mine the contrada boundaries.
I read that contrada affiliation is so strong among the Sienese that they consider themselves part of their contrada first, then Sienese, and then Italian.
Among other things, each contrada has its own constitution, government seat, flag, coat of arms, emblem, fountain, chapel and Patron Saint. Ten of the contrade are represented in the famous Palio. Before each race, the contrada horse it taken into its chapel to be blessed.
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| Apartment Entrance is Below the Balcony |
Interestingly it was not the streets that determined the Contrada boundaries - it was owners and buildings.
Thus Via di Diacceta is part of more than one contrada with our apartment being in the Nobile Contrada dell'Oca: the Nobile Contrada of the Goose: a white goose with green and red bands crowned with the cross of Savoia around its neck. By the way the Oca contrada has won the most races (63), followed by Chiocciola (the snail) and the Tartuca (snail). I guess Aesoph was correct when he said, Slow and steady wins the race.
Other animals represented are the panther, eagle, she wolf, dragon, giraffe unicorn, etc. Some of the emblems are a bit surprising such as the snail and caterpillar, wave (with a dolphin) and tower (with an elephant).
The apartment is situated on a bridge overlooking Via di Fontebranda, one of the several ports (gates) leading outside the city wall. Below are front and back views of the apartment.
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| Apartment from the Front |
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Apartment from the Back
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| View Out Back the Window |
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| View Out the Front Window |
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