Introduction
Historical Background The Italian name of this contrada, Onda (wave), symbolizes joy. The Wave originated with the military societies of Casato di Sotto and San Salvatore. These two societies had the responsibility of protecting the Palazzo Pubblico (City Hall) and also the shoreline of the Tyrrhenian Sea at Talamone, the port of trade. In fact, the contrada came to be called the Capitana (captain) because of its military services to City Hall. The two military societies combined in celebrations during the fifteenth century under the banner of the dolphin swimming on the waves of the sea. This union was shown in the year 1494 when the two societies, participating in a military game, created an allegoric float in the form of a dolphin. Also, in the 14th century, a women’s Wave society was formed. The Wave Contrada won its first Palio (run across town) on 6 August 1581 at which the Goose, She-wolf, and Ram Contrade participated. The Wave won various bufalate (buffalo races), most notably in July 1599, the oldest documented bufalata. In 1643, the Wave won its first Palio run in Piazza del Campo in the presence of Governor Mattias de’ Medici. This win, however, is not officially documented due to the success of the Goose Contrada in the following years, which unfortunately leaves it very much open to question by rival contrade. Fabio Chigi, a literate jurist, philosopher, and theologian was born in this contrada; he later became Pope Alexander VII. Giovanni Duprè (1817–82) was also born inside the Wave, and he later became an internationally famous sculptor. The enmity between the Wave and the Tower Contrade is the oldest in Siena, dating from 1559. In 1642, the captains of the two contrade were forbidden from public events under penalty of exile. In 1668 and 1713, serious trouble vexed the relationship between them.
#1 Palazzo Pubblicco
As you stand in Piazza del Campo, you will immediately be drawn to the Palazzo Pubblico (Town Hall).The construction of the historical edifice of the Palazzo Pubblicco began in 1297, and the building itself was designed to house the republican government of Siena. The Wave Contrada received the title Capitana (the Captain) from defending this building.
#2 La Nuova Pasticceria
Looking at the Town Hall, walk down Via Giovanni Dupre, the street immediately to the right of the Palazzo Pubblicco.On your right, at number 12 is La Nuova Pasticceria (The New Pastry Chef), where you'll find the best ricciarelli in town. A ricciarello is an almond cookie invented in Siena that has been in existence since the medieval period. You may purchase some ricciarelli now and take them with you.
#3 Via Casato di Sotto
Exit La Nuova Pasticceria, turn left and return to the Piazza del Campo. Before continuing with your walk, feel free to sit down in Il Campo and enjoy a ricciarello, it is a BYU tradition! From the Piazza entrance, turn left again and walk to Via Casato di Sotto. Its entrance is indicated by the sign “Bocca del Casato.” As you enter Via Casato di Sotto, you may want to look up to see the street signs on both sides of the street. You will notice that there are two symbols near the street signs. The symbol above the sign on your left is that of the Wave Contrada, while on the opposite side of the street, you will see the symbol of the Eagle Contrada. As you continue up Via Casato di Sotto, it’s important to note that only the left side of the street belongs to the Wave.A few doors up the street on your left you will come to number 9, the Sala del Carroccio. It’s identified by a “Comune di Siena” sign, which you will see around the city. Whenever you see this sign, please make a special note, because it will mean that this is an important heritage of the city. The Carroccio is the traditional carriage that parades the pallium, or the Palio banner, around the Piazza del Campo during the festivities of the Palio race. If you are lucky, the door will be open and you will see the Carroccio.At numbers 11–15, you will see a beautiful noble palace. Fabio Chigi, later elected Pope Alexander VII, was born here in 1599. An important-looking plaque remembers his birth.At number 17 you will find a laundromat, Ondablu (blue wave), which plays on the name of the contrada.As you continue walking, you’ll find a Renaissance palace at numbers 37–39 which shows a very interesting geometric pattern on its façade. You will also see metal rings on the walls—“parking stalls” for horses.Now stop and look at the building on your left, near number 45, and you will see a dedicatory plaque to Giosuè Carducci, a famous Italian poet and teacher. In 1906, Carducci was the first Italian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The sign reads “In this house, as a guest of Luciano Banchi who was an honorable man of Siena for his civic virtues and studies, lived Giosuè Carducci in December of 1875 upon his return from the Certaldese glorification of Giovanni Boccaccio.”
#4 Fonte del Casato
Retrace your steps back to the deep passage of stairs of Vicolo della Fonte (Alley of the Fountain). As you come down the first set of stairs, you will turn to your right and go down the second set to arrive at the Fonte del Casato.Fonte del Casato is unique in Siena because it was built downtown, is hidden among houses and palaces, and it is placed at the end of a long flight of steps. It was built in 1352, but is unknown by many. Also known as the Serene Fountain, it’s characterized by an arch of stone outlined in black with capital letters in the Gothic style. Near this fountain is the Vicolo delle Lombarde (Alley of the Lombard Women), where anciently, women of loose morals lived, as most women coming from northern areas were considered. This was the red-light district of Siena, and those women used this fountain as a bathtub.
#5 Casato di Sopra
Come up the first set of steps away from the fountain (not all the way back up to the street where you were) and turn right onto Via della Fonte. As you come to the end of the street, turn left onto Casato di Sopra.Note that both sides of Casato di Sopra are now part of the Wave Contrada. Notice the wall tiles decorated with the Contrada emblem as you walk.
#6 Renaissance Palace
Continue up Casato di Sopra until you reach number 19.Prince Paolo Mascagni, a famous anatomist and lecturer at the University of Siena, lived here from 1788 to 1792.Continue walking on Casato di Sopra. At number 33, there is a beautiful Renaissance palace with mullioned windows. A mullion is a vertical support between two Gothic arches. You can see how the window is divided in two by the mullion.
#7 Via di San Pietro
When you reach Via di San Pietro, turn left. Again, only the left side of the street is part of the contrada.There is a Tabaccheria on your left where you can stop to get a treat and maybe buy a Wave Contrada banner. At number 53, if you are hungry, you can stop at Pizzeria Le Principesse; this place is good and cheap.
#8 Arco di Sant’Agostino
Continue down Via di San Pietro and you will arrive at the Arco di Sant’Agostino (Arch of Saint Augustine) or Porta all’Arco, which spans over the street. To remain in the Wave Contrada, you will need to turn left onto Via di Sant’Agata. Again, only the left side of the street is part of the contrada.At number 36 Via di San Pietro you will find Bar Sant’Agata, where they sell a variety of good sandwiches. Lunch time is popular here with students from the University of Siena.
#9 Chiesa di San Giuseppe
As you head down Via di Sant’Agata you will see La Chiesa di San Giuseppe (the Church of Saint Joseph) straight ahead, between Via Giovanni Duprè and Via di Fontanella.La Chiesa di San Giuseppe is the official church of the Wave Contrada. As you approach the church, note that on your right, in the Tortoise Contrada, is the university mensa (student dining hall) inside the gate at number 1. If you are interested in eating there, the Dante Alighieri School can provide you with the details on their dining schedule. It is a fun way to see what university student life is like in Siena.La Chiesa di San Giuseppe began to the official church of the contrada in 1787, thanks to a decree from the archbishop. Before that, the contrada was using Il Chiesino (the small church) of San Salvadore. Baldassarre Giusti began construction of the Church of Saint Joseph began in 1521. As you stand facing the Church of Saint Joseph, notice the stately Baroque façade—done in brick, of course, as the Sienese do. It has a unique symmetrical octagonal dome and Greek cross plan. Inside, the main altar is a beautiful baroque piece of art that represents the glory of Saint Joseph. The chapel has a representation of the Crucifixion in polychrome wood on the right and a painting of the Madonna with her child, who is being crowned by two angels. The church also contains some works of bas-relief done by Giovanni Duprè and his daughter Amalia. The crypt serves as the seat and museum of the Wave Contrada. If you are in town on 19 March, do not miss the celebration of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph) held by the Wave Contrada.If it is open, you can head downstairs to the cripta e museo della Contrada Capitana dell’Onda (Museum of the Wave Contrada). The museum contains many sculptures by Giovanni Duprè, as well as a few by his daughter Amalia. Sala delle Adunanze (The Assembly Room) contains the main collection of plaster sculptures and is definitely worth some time. Cappellina dei Caduti (Little Chapel of the Fallen) was built in remembrance of the members of the contrada who are no longer living. Here you can see two significant sculptures: the first entitled Il Dolore (Pain) by Amalia Duprè and the second entitled Il Sacrificio (The Sacrifice) by Ezio Trapassi. You can stop in the Sala delle Vittorie(Victory Room) and see some of the banners of past Palios. Both the church and the museum are rarely open, so if you want to visit, you need to make an appointment through their web site.
#10 Fontana della Contrada dell'Onda
Returning outside the church, face the church and on your right, you will find a new fountain.Inaugurated in 1972, this fontana della contrada dell'Onda serves as the baptismal font for the contrada. Built by sculptor Alfonso Buoninsegni and architects Algero Rosi and Vittorio Conti, it displays a brass dolphin on a hexagonal basin.
#11 Fontanella
Still facing the church, turn right on Via di Fontanella and walk downhill for a short distance.On your right, there is an ancient fountain, the so-called Fontanella, or little fountain. Unfortunately, this is no longer accessible to the public, but you may see the remains underground from behind a small white fence. It was also known as “Hermit Fountain” or “Saint Augustine Fountain,” because it is near the Saint Augustine convent. Various documents confirm that the fountain was already in existence in 1263, making it older than the Fonte del Casato. Refurbished in 1268, it was continually maintained until 1481. Though the Fonte del Casato was done in stone, this fountain is done in brick. It was placed in a rather remote area in order to put it across from the beautiful panorama of the hills of Sant’Agostino (Saint Augustine).
# 12 Taverna di San Giuseppe
Now turn around and retrace your steps back toward Chiesa di San Giuseppe, but in the meantime do not miss looking on your right at the beautiful countryside landscape. Then, pass under the arch you will see in front of you, and you will start down Via Giovanni Duprè, the principal street of the Wave Contrada.Immediately on your left, at number 132, there is the Osteria la Taverna di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph’s Tavern). This restaurant has handmade pasta ranging from ravioli to their gnocchi verdi (spinach gnocchi) smothered in a mint and tarragon sauce, dishes with truffles, and a huge Florentine steak. It is an elegant and expensive restaurant, but if you go there in the evening for a special occasion, you can enjoy a candlelight dinner. You should check out the wine cellar during your visit. It was dug into the tufa rock and built by hand to represent an Etruscan house. Across the street from the restaurant, at number 111, is the sede della contrada dell'Onda (seat of the contrada).
# 13 La Residenza d’epoca Il Casato
Continue down Via Giovanni Duprè.At number 126 is a hotel called La Residenza d’epoca Il Casato (historical residence). Situated in the ancient Palazzo Bardi, it’s another historical dwelling of the fourteenth century famous for the fine arts. The rooms contain frescoes and mosaics, and provide panoramic views of the city. You might be able to peek in the lobby.Across the street from number 61, you will see the other end of Vicolo della Fonte. Up on the wall to your left, there is a plaque and beautiful fresco for Rinaldo Ticci, a musician who lived there.
#14 Giovanni Duprè
To help you get your bearings: If you continued up Vicolo del Fonte, you would find the Fonte del Casato, mentioned at the beginning of this walk. However, don’t go there at this time, just continue walking down Via Giovanni Duprè. Be sure to look on your left and right to enjoy the view of the beautiful narrow and steep alleys that cross this street.At number 82, you will see Bar a Onda. At number 35 is the birth home of Giovanni Duprè (b. Siena 1817, d. Florence 1882), an Italian sculptor who was strictly tied to the Wave Contrada. Duprè became famous for a sculpture of a “Dying Abel” that created a big controversy over its sharp realism. In fact, Duprè was falsely accused of having cast it from a real corpse. The statue was eventually purchased by the Czar of Russia and is now housed in the Hermitage Museum.Duprè also sculpted Cain, the Cross Triumph, and the Pietà (considered by many his masterpiece, now housed in the Misericordia Cemetery in Siena). A number of his works are located in the contrada’s museum. His style fluctuates between naturalism and academism. Duprè is even mentioned in the hymn of the Wave Contrada.
#15 Piazza del Mercato
As you continue walking on Via Giovanni Duprè, you will reach Via del Mercato, where you will turn right. You are now behind Palazzo Pubblico. Via del Mercato will take you to Piazza del Mercato (Market Square). The Piazza del Mercato is actually divided right down the middle between the Wave and the Tower Contradas. As you enter into the square, you will want to stick around the perimeter of the square on your right to stay in the area of the Wave Contrada.As you enter into Piazza del Mercato, you will see what is known as the Tartarugone (from the Italian tartaruga meaning tortoise, hence tartarugone means “big tortoise”), an awning resembling a tortoise. In the past, the square was used as a cattle market and had many trees. The “new” market opened in 1886 and sold produce, flowers, fish, chickens, and rabbits. The treccoloni or trecconi, traveling salesmen who hung from their neck a box containing thread, lingerie, buttons, necklaces, and small women’s ornaments, also frequented this market. You could see them up into the mid-20th century, when they still traveled the country selling their merchandise and arranging marriages.Every Friday morning year-round, Piazza del Mercato is an open-air farmers’ market, also called “Zero Kilometers Market,” because only neighboring farmers sell here—they do not travel many kilometers to reach this place. Also, this is the bus stop for the Pollicino or small bus (Little Thumb or Tom Thumb from Charles Perrault’s tale) that is allowed inside the narrow streets of historical Siena. From this piazza, you may see the elegant balconies on the back of Palazzo Pubblico. Note the large doors down below; behind them were the holding areas for huge salt reserves used in trading during the previous centuries when salt was an important commodity.Here in the piazza, you will want to check out the restaurant called La Finestra (The Window) at number 14 piazza del Mercato. This restaurant has an open veranda with a view of Town Hall. The three rooms are antique medieval establishments contributing to the unique atmosphere. The restaurant serves typical Tuscan dishes as well as Siena specialties, enriched with a touch of refined creativity: dishes made up of mushrooms and truffles, wild boar, quality grilled meat, and a special seafood menu on Fridays, as well as traditional desserts.If you want to try a different place to eat, look no further than number 6 in Piazza del Mercato. The large, family-run restaurant Antica Trattoria Papei serves up simple but good Sienese fare. In the summer, you can eat out in the square, enjoying sights of the city. If you eat inside, head to the left of the door or upstairs for a wood-ceilinged ambience—the modern room to the right is where they try to stick tourists. You can order up some pappardelle al sugo di cinghiale (noodles in wild boar sauce), a traditional dish, or you can spring for the pici alla cardinale (chewy fat spaghetti in tomato sauce with hot peppers and chunks of pancetta), which is a more original dish. You can also try a spicier dish, coniglio all’arrabbiata (rabbit cooked in white wine, rosemary, and sage with a pinch of hot pepper, (peperoncino), or try anatra alla Tolomei (duck stewed with tomatoes).
#16 Via di Porta Giustizia
If neither of these sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll want to head down the right side of Piazza del Mercato (with your back to the Palazzo Publico) until you reach Via di Porta Giustizia.As you head down Via di Porta Giustizia, you will pass on your left an antique laundry, where people once washed their laundry in open cement tubs, and which was still used as recently as the 1970s. Since its purchase by the Tower Contrada, it has been used as a flower market. At number 10, turn down the gravel road. As you pass through the Porta Giustizia, imagine all of the criminals led through this gate, never to return when the city gate of justice took them inexorably toward their execution in fields beyond the city.
#17: Orto dei Pecci
Pass under the gate. You will come to a fork in the road where you will want to stick to the right. Taking this street will lead you to the beautiful and historical Orto dei Pecci at number 39.You may eat at the restaurant Orto dei Pecci, where the menu is entitled “What can I eat today?”, as the plates change day to day depending on the season and the fruits and vegetables produced in the restaurant’s orchard. The rooms, filled with frescoes, create a unique ambience for every occasion, and during the winter, you may eat in front of a large fireplace to stay warm. During the summer, you may eat outside under the pergola or in the gazebo, enjoying the views of City Hall and the Torre del Mangia while eating great Sienese food.This establishment began in 1983, when a group of health and social workers got together for the purpose of helping local unemployed and disabled patients who could take care of the garden owned by the psychiatric hospital. Both nurses and patients worked the garden and, starting in 1996, they opened a restaurant. In 2000, they became an autonomous cooperative and still work with the disadvantaged and marginalized in need. They now have a medieval garden and offer banquets for special occasions, concerts, and other cultural events for schoolchildren, locals, and tourists. Several BYU students have worked in the Orto as interns in the culinary sciences, and BYU Study Abroad groups have often dined there. Be sure to visit the animals at the medieval farm.Feel free to finish your tour by exploring the beautiful medieval orchards or by just relaxing in the sun. Enjoy the views of the city while enjoying the wonders of nature. The fields contain everything from lettuce and cabbage to wonderful herbs like dill, tarragon, and saffron. See if you can identify artichoke plants, fig trees, and quince trees. You will also find an animal pen full of goats and other animals.Continue down the gravel path where you will come upon an interesting sculpture, Open Mind, by American artist Justin Peyser. The piece invites the wanderer to enter the artist's mind and then consider the mental expanse open to meditation and knowledge. Further, he invites us to consider the following: what do we choose to fill our mental space with? Is examining our own mind (and mindset) a welcome experience, or do we find within ourselves a reluctance to look deeper? Is it a reservoir of truth coexisting with prejudice? Is our mindset a protective mental armor that protects our identity? What do see in this piece of sculpture?Beyond the sculpture, be sure to look at the medieval herb garden. As you continue on the path, be on the look out for wild rabbits and feral cats. Local history states that this open part of the city was once inhabited, but after the Black Plague in the fourteenth century, so many people in this area died that the remaining residents vacated this part of the city and tore it down. Now, the openness of the Orto dei Pecci is a perfect place to lose yourself in a book or to lie down and take a nap after a long walk.
