Introduction
Historical BackgroundThe Tower Contrada is part of the Terzo di San Martino, which was incorporated into the city of Siena in the thirteenth century. Part of the Via Francigena or French pilgrimage route from France to Rome runs through the Tower territory. Religious pilgrims would enter Siena through Porta Camollia on their way from Florence and exit through Porta Romana on their way to Rome. Along with the Shell Contrada, the Tower became a place where many pilgrimage rest houses were established, thus the reference to Saint James and the scallop shell, the patron saint of pilgrims, which you will see throughout the contrada. During the fifteenth century, the contrada went by the name Lionfante, the mythological creature that is a cross between the lion and the elephant, but the reference to the elephant goes back further than the fifteenth century. In the third century b.c., Carthaginian military general Hannibal, in his strategy to sack Rome, moved his troops across northern Africa, up through Iberia (now Spain), and down through the Alps with thirty-seven African elephants. The legend is that as he descended on Rome, he left one of his elephants in Siena, around the area that is now the Tower. Since the neighborhood resides in the shadow of the Torre del Mangia on the Palazzo Publico, the name and image of the Tower comes from the Torre del Mangia.
#1 Assassination Stone
Welcome to the Piazza del Campo. We will begin our walk with a sobering story about Siena’s Jewish community. First, face the Fonte Gaia. On the right side of the fountain in the pavement of the Piazza del Campo is an unmarked grey square stone. You probably will not see it unless you are looking for it, since it is one of the stones in the ground of the Piazza.This unmarked monument is what the Sienese call the Assassination Stone. In 1799, just after the Jews of Siena were emancipated by Napoleon’s troops, rioters from Arezzo ransacked the Jewish Ghetto in the Tower Contrada. Nineteen Jews were assassinated on this spot in the Piazza del Campo. After this, Siena’s Jewish population severely declined.
#2 Trattoria La Torre
Turn toward the Palazzo Publico. On the left side of the Palazzo Publico and the small outdoor chapel is a narrow road, Via di Salicotto. This is the beginning of your walk. As you begin to walk down Via di Salicotto, you will notice on your left at number 7 the Trattoria La Torre.At the family-run Trattoria La Torre there is a window where you can watch the chefs preparing what is some of the most simple and unpretentious home-cooked traditional food at any restaurant in Siena. There is no written menu. You simply eat what they are preparing that day.On your right, on the opposite side of the street, look for a marble plaque stuck in the wall that reads “Pesce di Fiume AD MDLXXXVIII.” This plaque from 1588 announces that here you can get fish from the river. This neighborhood was once the home of Siena’s fish market. If you look on the opposite side of the street from here, you will still see a seafood store, Pescheria Romolo Ittica. Did you know the Sienese today still remember purchasing frogs—a seafood delicacy—in this old market?Down from the pescheria, on the same side of the street, you will find the fruttivendolo (fruit shop) Mercato della Frutta Rubino. It is one of the largest fruit vendors in Siena, always with fresh and colorful produce of the season. Ask for Laura, she will help you pick a nice snack. She also knows the neighborhood well, so be sure to ask her any questions about the Tower Contrada.
#3 Piazza del Mercato
By now, you will be approaching on your right Via di Pescheria, a covered street that opens onto the Piazza del Mercato. Go through this tunnel. You will notice on the walls several posters announcing events. Sometimes the Tower Contrada places ads here that announce the birth or the death of a contraioli (member of the contrada). Come down the steps into the market square.Piazza del Mercato is now much quieter than in previous eras of this city. Historically, under this giant awning is where you would have come to purchase your fish, produce, or cheese. Even in the 1990s, there was a bustling marketplace here. Times have changed, and the European Union now has more laws governing the sale of food products. Today, the Mercato is reduced to a bus stop and parking lot, but do not forget to look out over the Orto de’ Pecci and see the beautiful view of the Sienese landscape or the back of Palazzo Pubblico on the other side. This piazza is home to an interesting antique and vintage flea market every third Sunday of the month.
#4 Magazzini del Sale
Retrace your steps back to the Via di Pescheria. Stop at the corner of Via di Pescheria and Via di Salicotto.Salicotto is a reference to salt. Specifically, it refers to the salt that is used to preserve fish, as with the Italian favorite, baccalà, which is cod preserved in salt. Salt was a government-controlled merchandise because it was so expensive and precious. Notice you are on the back of the Palazzo Pubblico. This is where the government offices for the control and storage of salt were: the Magazzini del Sale.At this corner in Via di Pescheria, look up a little above eye-level. Find the metal handle sticking out of the wall. This was one of the handles that closed an old door which was formerly used to open and close this passageway. You will also find the large metal hinges on the other corners of the intersection that bear silent witness to another interesting aspect of Siena’s history. This was one of the gates through which those who were to be executed were led out of the city. Imagine the feeling of being led into this dark passage, walking toward your execution as the gates are forever closed behind you.Look for Via di Salicotto 12, the house of the executioner. For convenience, he lived near the exit through which prisoners left the city and were sent to their death.
#5 Bar Salicotto
Continue down Via di Salicotto or simply “Salicotto” as the locals call it. When you get to the intersection with Via dei Malcontenti, stop.At number 51 is Bar Salicotto. You might want to stop in here for a bit of refreshment or a snack. This is the local bar of the contrada where contraioli hang out and visit.The name of the street Malcontenti (unhappy) originates from the fact that this is the other exit from the city that would lead prisoners to their execution. From this point, you can again look down into the Piazza del Mercato and the Orto de’ Pecci.
#6 Paglietta
Continue on Via di Salicotto and walk just a little way until you will see the small piazza on your left. This is Piazzetta della Paglietta.The Paglietta is an exclusive group within the Tower Contrada. The members of the Paglietta need to be 1) over 40 years old, 2) male, and 3) introduced to the Paglietta by somebody already within the group. Their mission is to honor the elders of the contrada, maintain the original spirit of the contrada, and to do volunteer work toward these goals.
#7 Torre Contrada tunnel
Continuing past the piazzetta, at number 4 is a large, round door.You are lucky if the doors are open, so you can peek inside. This is the Torre Contrada tunnel. It stretches below three streets. If it had an opening on the other side, it would open just outside the pharmacy on Via di Pantaneto. During WWII, the tunnel was expanded as a bomb shelter and residents would sleep here during air raids. However, the tunnel has an earlier history. At the far end of the tunnel is a graffito carved in the soft sandstone; it is a cross with the date 24 January 1693. Exactly what happened here on this date is unknown. The space now acts as a storage tunnel of the contrada where chairs, tables, dishes, lockers with traditional contrada apparel, and kitchen equipment are kept, waiting for special celebrations. This tunnel was used in the 2007 James Bond film, Quantum of Solace. If you ask a member of the Palietta hanging out at the Bar Salicotto, you may be shown around in the tunnel. Let him know you are a friend of Dr. Bonomi of the Dante Aligheri school.
#8 Società of Saint Catherine
At number 60, notice the plaque on the wall with an image of Saint Catherine.The plaque indicates that this building was donated to the Società of Santa Caterina, a humanitarian religious order. Many people gave property in their will to this society; you will notice more than one of these plaques in the Tower Contrada.
#9 La Sosta
At number 75 is a place by the name of La Sosta.La Sosta is the headquarters of the Paglietta. Notice an elegant tabernacolo (tabernacle) of Santa Anna and the Virgin Mary as a child. There are many of these in this area, so keep your eyes open for various styles and themes. A tabernacle in Italy is not a large building like the tabernacle in Salt Lake City; simply put, it is a small votive shrine outside of a church. A tabernacolo is also recognized as a place where Christ dwells.
#10 Piazzetta Arrigo Pecchioli
Continue down Salicotto and you will soon see on your right the Piazzetta Arrigo Pecchioli.Welcome to the headquarters of the Tower Contrada. As you explore the Piazzetta Arrigo Pecchioli, look for many symbols and references to the Tower. These include: a terracotta elephant and tower tile from 1673; an shrine to Sant’Anna, one of the protector saints of the Tower (Anna was the apocryphal mother of Mary); and the tile marking the entrance to La Stanzina delle Donne della Torre (a “little room” or special meeting place just for the women of the Tower). There’s also a tabernacolo dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena behind wrought iron.
#11 Museo della Contrada del Torre
Turn back to Salicotto. At number 76 is the main door of the Tower, and, as you will notice by the plaque, the museo della Contrada del Torre.As indicated on the Tower web site, the museo della Contrada del Torre “jealously guards the testimonies” of its people. The most significant treasures within the museum include: the 1546 painting the Way to Calvary by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi (also known as Sodoma); a bell created from melted-down Florentine artillery from the famous 1526 battle of Porta Camollia (engraved with the “Lionfante” coat of arms); a section of the thirteenth-century city wall; a Roman cistern for collecting water; an underground Etruscan tomb from the second century BC; and some of the oldest “mantles” or historic costumes from 1839 when Siena instituted the renewal of historic Palio costumes.
#12 Margherita di Savoia
Outside the museum door at number 78, you will notice a plaque on the wall mentioning Margherita di Savoia.Margherita di Savoia was the daughter-in-law of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy, and the wife of King Umberto I. She was the first queen of Italy, because Emanuele’s wife had died before the country was unified in 1861. After Italy was unified, the royal family of Savoy wanted to visit all of the outposts of their new kingdom. When Margherita visited the Tower church, she presented the Torre contraioli with a crimson and white cloth. The Tower then adopted these colors. This is the same Margherita for whom Margherita pizza was named in Napoli.
#13 Oratorio di San Giacomo e Sant'Anna
The next large double door on your right (with the wrought iron gate) is l’oratorio di San Giacomo l’apostolo e Sant’Anna, the oratory of the contrada.Most contrade adopt a local neighborhood church. Built specifically for them by the government of Siena, the Tower was given l’oratorio di San Giacomo e Sant’Anna, because the military commander Giovanni di Lorenzo, who led the battle against the Florentines in 1526 at Porta Camollia, was from the Tower Contrada.Construction for the original oratory was completed in 1536 and dedicated to Mary Immaculate to commemorate the 1526 victory of the battle of Porta Camollia over the Florentine army. Between 1665 and 1702, the church underwent changes to match the taste of the Counter-Reformation baroque style. When it was completed on 25 July 1702, the anniversary of the Battle of Camollia, it was celebrated with fireworks, trumpets, and drums. The bell tower was added in 1901.The frescoes and paintings mostly recognize Saint James the Apostle, one of the protector saints of the contrada. One of the most important works is the Rutilio Manetti’s Crucifixion from 1625. It follows a Caravaggio style with dramatic lighting and intense colors. The church walls are covered with dark crimson silk damask with heraldic motifs of the contrada. It is likely that these were installed during the 1702 work done on the oratory.
#14 Madonna della Misericordia
As you exit the contrada oratory and turn right down Salicotto, you will soon find yourself at the fountain of the contrada. But before you stop there, look to your left. You will see a large archway with a tabernacolo on the wall.This image is the Madonna della Misericordia (Mary of Mercy). Here she is shown extending her mantle to protect her Sienese people. You will often see this image in Sienese artwork.
#15 Fontana della Contrada del Torre
Now continue across the street to the fontana della Contrada del Torre.Sculptor Mauro Berrettini created the bold, modern fontana della Contrada del Torre, constructed in 1984. Fausto Corsini, who also built the fountain for the Tartuca (Tortoise) Contrada, built the original 1954 fountain now found in the museo della contrada. It consists of a bronze elephant standing on an octagonal base.
#16 Santa Anna e Maria
Sit here for a while to rest as you enjoy the incredible view across the way to the Onda (Wave) and Tartuca (Turtle) contrade. After a good rest, return the way you came, retracing your steps up Salicotto. When you come to the corner of Salicotto and Vicolo del Vannello, stop.At this intersection, look up at the corner of the building just above the “Vicolo del Vannello” sign. You will see a very small tabernacolo of an adult and child. Can you guess who this is? Think of the saints of the contrada. This is Santa Anna e Maria (Saint Anne and Mary).
#17 Renaissance-style house
Continue on Salicotto, passing the Tower headquarters on your left, until you come to a small archway where Vicolo di Coda begins (on your right). Go up this small street until you come to Vicolo della Manna on your left. Turn left and walk up this road. You are now in the very heart of the Contrada del Torre. On your right is a wall, and within it is a children’s playground. Continue on this road until you pass under an archway and go up a set of stairs. Pause here for a moment.As you look down on the streets below from this outlook, you will notice a Renaissance-style house that has a black and stone-colored geometrical pattern, with a red decorative border, but the date on the building is 1872–1915. This is due to the restoration work on this part of the city during the early twentieth century. Historically, this part of the city was squalid, with tight living conditions, tuberculosis, disease, little sunlight, and decaying buildings. This was a result of the congested ghetto that was forced on the Jews and the cramped pilgrim quarters that were once throughout this area. As you may have noticed, there are many street names in this area that point out how bad the area was, such as Malcontenti and Malcucinato (badly cooked), the old name of Salicotto. During the restoration of this neighborhood, the government moved much of the population to Ravacciano Hill, outside the city walls. During the restoration of this neighborhood, many of the buildings were demolished and new buildings built in the old Siena style. See if you can notice new buildings that were built to look old. Most of the original population moved back into this area just before WWII.
#18 Neighborhood Playground
Return to your walk up Vicolo della Manna (note, Manna is referring to the manna from heaven that God gave Israel in the wilderness—think about that old testament reference as we approach the area nearer the synagogue). As this little street curves to the right, turn immediately right onto the Vicolo della Fortuna. You are heading toward the neighborhood playground.During the day, you may see mothers, grandmothers, and young children playing on this neighborhood playground, which is the heart of the Tower community. Notice that the mascot of the contrada is even present on the playground—the elephant.
#19 Synagoga
Retrace your steps back up the Vicolo della Fortuna. There is a fork in the road here, stay to the right until you find yourself on the short street Via degli Archi.At number 7, if the doors are open, you may find one of the most sought-after stonecutters of Tuscany, Emilio Frati. (Note:there are two number 7’s on this street. Emilio’s doorway has colored stones around it; look for these.) Emilio studied at the Carrara Academy (Carrara is where Michelangelo obtained his marble). He does restoration work, not only on the Duomo of Siena but also on other stone architecture throughout Tuscany. He says he would like to retire, but he cannot, because there is no one else to do this important work. In the mornings, you will find him at the Duomo, working on the restoration of the famous floor marbles, and in the afternoons, you will find him here. He does not sell his work, but if his shop is open, he may be willing to talk to BYU students at his workshop. Let him tell you about the unique broccatello or yellow marble of Siena he works with.At number 11, you will find the stalla (stable) della Contrada del Torre, where the horse is kept prior to the Palio.At the end of the street, at number 14, you will find the Sinagoga. Jews were first established in Siena in 1229, but in 1348, they were blamed for the plague and forced to live outside the city center. During the Renaissance, they experienced relative liberties, including study at the university and commerce. This synagogue was built in 1786, and Jews were given full emancipation in 1799 when Napoleon’s troops occupied the town. However, that year, a group of ultra-conservative Catholics ransacked the synagogue and killed nineteen Jews in a macabre ceremony on the Piazza del Campo. One of the plaques on the wall commemorates this event.Another plaque remembers those who were deported during WWII. The doors of the ghetto (the Jewish quarter of the city) were closed at night to keep the Jews contained. These doors were at the top and bottom of Vicolo delle Scotte. The original ghetto was mostly destroyed during the 1930s during the renovations in this area.Unfortunately, this is no longer a working synagogue, but is now known as Sinagoga e museo Ebraico di Siena (Synagogue and Jewish museum of Siena). The last BYU group to visit the functioning synagogue was here in 2009. Visiting the museum is by appointment only.
#20 Aloe and Wolf vintage shop
As you are standing looking at the door of the synagogue, turn right and go up the Vicolo delle Scotte. As you emerge from this almost tunnel, it seems you are coming out into a brighter, livelier part of the city. This is Via del Porrione, featuring a variety of vintage and charity shops. Turn left and look at the colorful retaurants and shops along this short stretch of street to the Piazza del Campo, continuing along until you find number 23 on your right.Number 23 is home to the Aloe and Wolf vintage shop. While Siena is not home to sprawling flea markets like those of Paris, as you can see, this side of the city boasts several good vintage shops—this being one of them. Even if you’re not going to buy, you might want to browse these lighthearted shops for a little while—they are colorful and amusing. Feel free to enter and look around at the unique clothing and hats, funky sunglasses, and other items from a different generation.
# 21 Palazzo Chigi-Zondadari
Continue until you are on Piazza del Campo. You are back where you began, but your walk is not over yet. Look at the pink palazzo to your right, the large imposing one that sits right on the Piazza del Campo. Believe it or not, this corner of the Piazza del Campo is part of the Tower Contrada.This pink palazzo is the Palazzo Chigi-Zondadari. Built in the 1720s, it claims the style of the Roman eighteenth century, explained by the fact that both the architect Antonio Valeri and the family were from Rome. Though originally part of the Owl Contrada, due to family connections, the family recently requested the property be annexed into the Tower Contrada. The family continues to live in Rome, and when they are in town, they only inhabit the upper two stories of the palazzo.
#22 La Trofea
Turn right and walk down Via Rinaldini with the Palazzo Chigi-Zondadari on your left.La Trofea, the pizzeria that faces the Piazza del Campo on the corner of the Chigi-Zondadari palace, makes giant slabs of pizza for take out. Grab some and sit on the Piazza del Campo if you need a break.
#23 Palazzo Piccolomini
As you continue down Via Rinaldini, turn right on Banchi di Sotto. At this point, only the building on the right side of Banchi di Sotto is in the Tower Contrada.This large Renaissance building is Palazzo Piccolomini. This beautiful building is in pure Florentine Renaissance style. It was likely designed in 1469 by Bernardo Rossellino, one of the most important architects of the time, and under the direction of Pier Paolo del Porrina. The owners, Giacomo and Andrea Piccolomini, were nephews of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, the birth name of Pope Pius II.On the façade, there are two coats of arms of the Piccolomini family, and eaves decorated with other family symbols. The façade is in smooth stone with rusticated joints. This palace contains the state archives, with sixty thousand precious scrolls, certificates, and codes dated from the eighth century, and old public documents from 1100 to 1800. Among the most precious documents is Giovanni Boccaccio’s will. In addition, the Piccolomini Palace houses a unique collection in the Museo delle Tavolette del Biccherna e Gabella (Museum of the Biccherna and Gabella Tablets), from ancient financial management firms (1258–1659). These tablets of painted wood were used as the covers for accounting books. Famous artists, such as Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, and Domenico Beccafumi, decorated some of them. At first, they represented banking activities, such as bank clerks at work, clients making a deposit, safes, etc., then they became more complex with representations of important civic or religious events. To visit the museum, enter the palace main entrance into the courtyard, and head for the doorway on the left side. You will find the sign “Archivio di Stato.”
#24 Via del Porrione
As you exit the courtyard of the palace, turn right down Banchi di Sotto. You are walking toward the Renaissance-style Logge del Papa. Turn right again, and you will be approaching the massive baroque façade of Chiesa di San Martino. Both of these are mentioned in the Unicorn Contrada walk. Now continuing with the church of Saint Martino on your left, you will be looking directly to the entry arch of the Vicolo delle Scotte, where you came from. Next to the entrance of Vicolo della Scotte, look at the street sign to the left (at number 46) for Via del Porrione.As you have traversed the streets of Siena, you may have noticed that throughout Siena there some streets that have two names. The Via del Porrione, is one of these, with a smaller sign under the main sign that reads Già Cartagine, meaning “once [named] Carthage”. This reminds us that the history of Hannibal’s elephant coming from Carthage to Siena is still alive (the elephant remained in Siena for some time and became quite the curiosity). It also reminds us that the Tower Contrada has a history of departures: pilgrims, Jews, prisoners, Hannibal’s troops with their elephants, and, now, BYU students.
#25 Osteria le Logge
You have completed your walk. Before you are through, celebrate your departure in a special way.On the corner, across the street at number 33 is a haunt for foodies worldwide, the Osteria le Logge. In the evening, you can watch the chefs make dinner in the large kitchen window, and, if you can afford it, splurge for a going-away-from-Siena dinner here. The dining room is an antique library full of beautiful cabinetry, books, and oggetti d’arte. The menu is traditional Tuscan, but it incorporates discreet touches of subtle international fusion cuisine. If you order three courses, they might surprise you with three extra “sample” courses for you to try some of their gastronomic experiments.
The End
We began the walk at the simple Trattoria la Torre and we conclude the walk at the formal Osteria le Logge. Buon appetito!
