A legend relates that this symbol derives from the ancient Etruscans who lived in this area and who gave the snail religious values.
It includes the now extinct Contrada of the Quercia (Oak) which had jurisdiction over the Comunello di Monistero, built around the monastery of Sant'Eugenio in 731 by Walfrido Castaldo of Siena for Liutbrando, King of the Longobards. Although its inhabitants lived outside the walls of the city they were considered citizens of Siena by way of privilege granted them by the Republic in 1457 and confirmed by the Medici Grand Dukes in 1611. The division made by the Princess Violante of Baviera did not consider this, and placed the confines of the Contrada at Porta San Marco.
The Contrada has its Seat in Via San Marco. There is a lion sculptured in travertine at the top of the Street to commemorate the "twinning" of this Contrada with Venice in 1954. The supreme Pontiff John XXIII is the Patron and the Apostles Peter and Paul are the Patron Saints. The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was designed by Flaminio del Turco. The bronze baptismal font is the work of Fulvio Corsini.
A beautiful new museum has recently been inaugurated to house the holy furnishings and ornaments including gold and jewelers, valuable and elaborate material, vestments and paintings.
The new Seat in the grandiose crypt of its Church was opened in 1982. It may be considered one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, Contrada Seat today.
Since 1465 the Contrada has come into the possession of a lot of property among which the hospital and garden of Saint Peter called "San Pietrino ", close to Porta San Marco. This property was donated to the Contrada by the nuns of San Marta. In 1655 their first church was built where via della Diana and via S. Marco meet.
The "Società" is called "San Marco", the name of the ancient district of one of its military companies.