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SHELL:
INFO GENERALI |
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Title
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It confers upon itself the title of Noble starting from about 1680 for the following reasons:
- Its two military companies were the first to attack in the famous battle of Montaperti (4 September 1260).
- It brought water in its quarter in 1469.
- In 1527 faced successfully the "Noveschi" tempting to take the government of Siena.
- In 1534 built the Pispini fountain.
- It maintained the Sienese army for a period of 6 months.
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Badge
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Derives from the finding out of numerous shell in a street out of the gate S.Giovanni a Busseto (during the Oligocene Siena was covered by the sea).
Other say the badge is coming from the "machine" used by the quarter representing a statue of Neptune with a big shell in the back. Finally some say the name is due to the shape of the area it occupies, similar to a shell.
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Symbol
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 Light blue badge with a silver shell surmounted by a Grand-Duke crown. At its sides two red coral branches. Initially from the shell a string of pearl was hanging from the shell, now it has been replaced by a pendent made of three golden Savoy knot, interweaved with a silver and a red rose.
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Colors
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Light blue flag bordered in red and yellow.
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Motto
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The red of the coral burn in my heart.
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Patrono Saint and feast day
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Saint Gaetano from Thiene, August 7 (celebrated on the second Sunday of August).
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Stable (horse house)
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Contrada Association
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Historical seat and museum
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Oratory
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Between via dei Pispini and via dell’Oliviera. It was built in 1680 from people of the Contrada and dedicated to the Protector.
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Website
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Baptismal font
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Pispini fountain (XVI century).
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the NewsPaper
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La Spannocchia (since 1974)
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Immagine tratta da "Le Contrade di Siena" di F.Rossi
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History
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It has the appellation "nobile" (noble) because its military companies opened battle at Montaperti, because its people brought water to the Contrada territory (they erected the Pispini fountain in 1534), because they maintained the army of the Republic for six months at their own expense and finally because they held back the "Noveschi" attack who, with the help of the Florentines, tried to enter the city by storming Porta Pispini (one of the gateways of the city) in 1527. On this occasion Francesco Terchi stood at the gateway and beat his sword against it as a sign of challenge. The discipline and military appearance was such that it was distinguished with the name of "La Floridissima" (literally the very florid).
Its Seat is in via dei Pispini. The Patron Saint is San Gaetano of Thiene to whom the Contrada dedicated its Church which it built at its own expense in 1682. Previously the people of the Contrada met in the Church of Saint John the Baptist and then in the Cappella della Compagnia di Santo Stefano.
There are several hypotheses on the origin of the name of the Contrada, one of which is the numerous amount of sea-shells found on its territory which in the Pliocene Age was covered by the sea. Another hypothesis is the evident reference to the valley which is closed in at one end by San Francesco and at the other end by Santo Spirito and Santa Chiara.
The "Società" is called "La Pania" (the trap), attributing to it the power of "liming" - that is making those who visit it "stick" and who for sentimental and gastronomic reasons are not able to break away.
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