Derives from the "machine" used by the Contrada during the bull hunting and buffalo games.
Silver badge with a Giraffe tied with a rope held by a Moor, surmounted by a light blue ribbon with "Umbertus I dedit" written on it.
Red and white flag.
Altius caput maior gloria (the higher is the head, the bigger is the glory)
Elegance.
Painters
19
Visitation of the blessed Mary, May, 31th (celebrated on the first Sunday of June)
Camollia
"Società della Giraffa" (Giraffe society), Via delle Vergini, 18
Piazzetta della Giraffa, 2
piazzetta della Giraffa, 1
"Suffragio" Chapel, in the Provenzano church crypt (officiated since 1823).
The entrance to the oratory, dedicated to the Madonna del Fosso, is located under the vaults of the Crypt of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria di Provenzano and has the entrance facing the Piazzetta della Giraffa.
The church was built thanks to the consolidation of the foundations of the church above, carried out in 1611 and was occupied, for almost two hundred years, by a new Suffragio Company.
The suppression of the Companies decreed in 1785 by Pietro Leopoldo also put an end to the use of the church and the rooms were intended for long years for the conservation of cereals and grains. La Giraffa, considering its chronic lack of a place to officiate, filed for use and the application was accepted only in 1823.
The Contrada then proceeded to carry out the work necessary to set up its new oratory considering that it could not yet have the premises that house the current Museum and which previously gave access to the Church.
It was therefore decided to "rotate" the axis by ninety degrees by opening the entrance where the right altar was and, having built a wall where the main altar was previously present, a narrow space was obtained which is currently used as a sacristy.
The left altar thus became the new main altar where the Madonna del Fosso (or Suffragio) was placed, which for half a century followed the frequent movements of the Contrada, and the two side altars were built from scratch. Then the two "orchestras" were created, the organ built by Carlo Perugini in 1774 was placed on the right.
The oratory was blessed on 4th July 1824 and the following day the solemn opening to worship took place. Since then the church has maintained its structure; it was equipped with electric light in 1911 and on the centenary of the settlement (1924) religious objects were purchased and the organ restored.
In the center of the tympanum of the high altar, under a golden crown, stands the symbol of the Holy Spirit; the newsstand contains a framed blue surface on which the image so dear to giraffins is placed: the Madonna del Fosso. It is a 16th century fresco from the Sienese school depicting the Madonna and Child in her arms and Saints Bernardino and Catherine.
On the right altar there is a wooden crucifix from the 16th century. The left altar houses a rectangular canvas with the Rest during the escape; it is a copy of the original by Rutilio Manetti, made by Giulio Cesare Maffei in 1823.
In the small sacristy, religious objects and a reliquary with a golden giraffe and the image of the Madonna del Fosso.
Previous oratories:
- Church of the Suffragio (from 1686 to 1714).
- Chapel of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in Saint Bernardino (from 1714 to 1732).
- Saint Peter in Ovile (from 1723 to 1780 and from 1813 to 1823).
- Church of the Congregation of Saint Anne (from 1780 to 1810).
Work by Salvatore Bocci, it includes a bronze by Pier Luigi Olla. It is situated in Piazzetta della Giraffa.