Sunday, June 23, 2013

Summer Solstice

Several weeks ago our class and another Art Humanities class from NAU (Northern Arizona University) did a tour of the Bruco (Caterpillar) contrada here in Siena. Siena is divided up into 17 districts called contradas and each have a mascot based on ancient guilds. So for example, the Bruco contrada used to be silk merchants. Our guide was the infamous Dario Castagno who has written numerous books, the first of which deals with his experiences as a Chianti tour guide (Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide). Many of us have been reading his books throughout our stay here. So we were all too excited to meet him. He explained to us that the contrada is a very close-knit group of people and rather exclusive. To be a member of the contrada, you have to be born into it or baptized, which is not an easy endeavor as the author Robert Rodi (Seven Seasons in Siena) can attest to. There is no hierarchical system or social ranking. Everyone is considered equally important at contrada dinners and other contrada events. Twice a year 10 of the 17 districts perform in the Palio, a horse race event held in both July and August. Our class is lucky enough to attend the July Palio. The winning contrada receives a palio (flag) which is painted by an artist. The artist is sometimes local, or even internationally well-known. Each contrada has a museum where they display all of the palios they have won throughout the years. Siena has very little crime and juvenile delinquency. Our class has concluded that this is most likely due to the contradas (they keep the youth very busy).

This past Saturday, the city of Siena had a summer solstice festival called Notte Bianca. Siena recently elected a new mayor and our guess is that he was trying to make a good first impression with this event. From five o'clock in the evening into the wee hours of the night, local bands, artists and street performers displayed their talent. Many of the contradas opened up their museums as well. We had the advantage of going into the porcupine and the dragon contrada. It was curious to me why the contradas, such a restricted entity, opened up their headquarters to everyone, including tourists.

For the city of Siena, tourism is an integral part of the economy. Our professor informed us that the city aims to receive the designation of "European Cultural Capital" in 2019. The European Union designates one city per calendar year in which said city organizes numerous cultural events with a strong European element. The four areas in which the city plans to focus is culture, health, social justice and sustainable tourism. The beauty and endearing legacy of the contradas is its exclusivity. Nonetheless, if Siena wants to put itself on the map, where tourists stay for a few days rather than simply pass through on their way to Florence, it needs to offer something special. That something special could very well be the contradas and everything that comes with such as the Palio. It remains to be seen how they will manage to balance the influx of tourists interested in this way of life, while still maintaining their identity and exclusive nature. This balance will be a challenge but not impossible. 

(I have not posted any pictures we took of the Bruco contrada because Dario requested that we not post any pictures online.)

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