Friday, October 29, 2010

Local Specialties 2


Siena is a city of very distinct neighborhoods,
known as contradas.
Each contrada has a mascot,
and it adorns the walls of the contrada from time to time,
often marking the boundary lines from contrada to contrada.
I quite like the chiocciola:


This corner shows the transition from
tartuca (tortoise)
to aquila (eagle):


And this one is an unofficial sign,
(a graffito, the best Italian tradition)
for Selva ('tree', but with accompanying rhinoceros).


If you look closely you will see that Tartuca (tartucca?),
the neighbor of Selva,
is depicted in a subordinate position by the tortoise beneath the tree and rhinoceros.
Each contrada has a headquarters, a church, and a fountain.
And VERY partisan residents.

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