Contrada Imperiale della Giraffa

GENERAL INFORMATION

HEADQUARTERS: Piazzetta della Giraffa, 2 - Terzo di Camollia

SOCIETY: "Society of the Giraffe" - Via delle Vergini, 18

NAME OF THE DISTRICT MEMBERS: Giraffini

MOTTO: "Altius caput maior gloria - the higher the head, the greater the glory"

COAT OF ARMS: silver, with a giraffe in its natural colors, held by a moor dressed in Turkish style bearing a red shield charged with gold imperial symbols; topped by a fluttering blue ribbon with the inscription "UMBERTUS I DEDIT" in gold Roman letters, interspersed with Savoy knots.

COLORS: red and white in equal parts

SYMBOLIZES: elegance

PLACES AND REFERENCES

CHURCH AND ORATORY: Church of the Suffrage, in the crypt of the Collegiata di Provenzano

PATRON AND TITLE FESTIVAL: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - May 31, generally celebrated on the first Sunday of June

MUSEUM: Piazzetta della Giraffa, 2

FOUNTAIN: Work by Salvatore Bocci, with a bronze by Pier Luigi Olla. Located in Piazzetta della Giraffa.

RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATION

RELATIONS WITH OTHER CONTRADE:
allies Civetta, Istrice, Pantera
enemies none

CORPORATIONS: painters

MILITARY COMPANIES: San Pietro a Ovile di Sopra

HISTORY OF THE DISTRICT OF THE GIRAFFE

The District of the Giraffe is among the oldest in Siena: its first documented mention dates back to around 1424, in the account of the Game of Pugna by Gentile Sermini, one of the first documents in which the districts appear with their current names. It is mentioned again in 1458 and 1482, while in 1489 it participated in the Palio della Maddalena, thus beginning a regular presence at games and city events.

After the fall of the Republic, the festivities underwent a drastic reduction. It was only in 1581 that they were celebrated with solemnity again, thanks to a festival organized by the District of the Eagle. Over time, the ancient bull hunts gave way to the buffalo hunts, a prelude to the Palio alla Tonda, which from 1656 became the main festival of the Sienese districts.

PALII AND RESULTS

PALII WON: for the Contrada and recognized 35

PARTICULARITIES

TITLES: The Giraffe boasts three titles
- "Royal", for winning the palio on July 16, 1887 in the presence of King Umberto I of Italy and Queen Margherita of Savoy.
- "Imperial", for the career won on July 2, 1936, dedicated to the Italian colonial empire, in the presence of King Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena. The title granted the District the right to bear a red shield with gold imperial insignia. From then until 1980, the Giraffe paraded in the Square with flags bearing two coats of arms: one with the giraffe and one with the imperial shield. With the renewal of the mounts in 1981, the District adopted the solution of providing the shield to the moor.
- "Republican", for the victory on August 16, 1946, shortly after the proclamation of the Italian Republic, in the presence of Provisional Head of the Republic Enrico De Nicola.

TWINNINGS: Grosseto