Contrada Imperiale della
Giraffa

The Contrada of Saint Peter in Uvile di sopra starts from the Portone, and Lawn of Saint Francesco, and always on the left reaches the road, which ends near the Arch of the Rossi behind the Houses dei Marchesi Bichi, where it turns to the road behind the Castellare, up to the Provenzano road, now widened is called the new road, and passes the Provenzano road, going down to the ditch, and returns to the Saint Francesco Gate, the Contrada's weapon which is seen in the facade of the Fountain of Saint Francesco, which was made to manufacture at common expense by this Contrada, and that of Saint Peter a Uvile below, in this way, red field with golden Lion with silver thorns across, and white rake with three lilies.

This district represents a Machine marked by a Giraffe, and is a very ancient invention, since it writes Sigismondo Titio in the year 1482, after speaking of the Snail to applaud the return of the Reforming Citizens: Eadem quoque Incoia S. Petri in Ovilia, quorum Insigne Camelopardalis, Cerausa nuncupata factitavere , and shortly after: Officiales Baliae emptam vitulam, et cophinos panis oblongos cum vino dolio to Incolas S. Petti in Ovilia gift to transmit, tubis precedentibus duabus, etfamulis quibusdam. Appeared again with this Machine in 1494 at a game of punch, in 1516 at a hunt for Bulls. In 1556, another hunting of bulls, where the festival ended, came into contention with that of the goose, and then at arms. The year 1546 appeared with 67 people dressed in blue drape livery under the Capocaccia Gio: Maria Berti, and the standard bearer was Francesco Capacci, who wielded a blue and red banner. The year 1692 in the coming of the Most Serene Grand Prince of Tuscany, he led in triumph over an Orpheus Chariot, which with his sound made the Giraffe appear, celebrating the coming of the said Most Serene Prince. Pliny writes, that the Camelopardile we called Giraffa was named by the Ethiopians Nabuna, who has the foot of Horse, Bove's legs, and the head of Camelo, is red indenato of white, and for this reason it is called Camelopardile, and by other Salvatica sheep to be of little pride, and the first time he was seen in Rome was in the Circus games of Cesare Dictator. In the year 1703 the inhabitants of this Contrada erected a portico like a small Oratory to repair the ancient Image from the injuries of the time, which was seen painted in the crusade of the ditch road, nowadays very famous for its thick miracles.