Summary
ColorsGold-yellow with a black and blue band
SymbolTwo-headed eagle
TerzoTerzo di Città
HeadquartersCasato di sotto 86
MuseumPalazzo Agazzari-Nastasi
ClubhouseIl Rostro, Vicolo del Verchione
ContradaioliAquilini
OratoryChiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Paitron saintSantissimo Nome di Maria (12 september)
Enemie(s)Pantera (dal 1947)
Allied contradeCivetta (dal 1718)
Pantera (dal 1730 al 1947)
Drago (dal 1788)
Oca (dal 1911 al 1921)
Victories24 officially recognized
Websitehttp://www.contradadellaquila.com

Info
Territorium

The Bando di Violante di Baviera from 1730 determined the division of the city of Siena into 17 Contrade. People referred to buildings and their owners instead of the streets (as they do now). The document is still seen today as the basis on which the actual boundaries of the districts were determined.

Today, the following streets are part of the area’s territory:

  • Casato di Sotto (from Piazza del Campo untill Costa Larga)
  • Costa Larga
  • via di Monna Agnese (partially)
  • piazza del Duomo (except Palazzo Arcivescovile and the Duomo)
  • via del Capitano
  • chiasso del Bargello (partially)
  • piazza Jacopo della Quercia
  • vicolo dei Percennesi
  • vicolo di Tone
  • vicolo del Verchione
  • via del Poggio
  • via di Città (partially)
  • via San Pietro
  • piazza Postierla
  • via delle Campane (partially)
  • via del Castoro
History

The Aquila emblem (two-headed eagle) has its origins in the coat of arms of the noble Marescotti family, who lived in the territory.

Aquila 3

Aquila is the neighborhood that chronologically last started to participate in the Palio. In 1610 they won the Bufalata (race with buffalo). From 1622 they disappeared from all public parties. In 1718, at the initiative of “cavaliere” Giovanni Antonio Pecci, they were allowed by the Biccherna (magistrates of the City) to participate in the Palio of August (won by Chiocciola). With this they provoked the neighboring neighborhoods (Onda, Tartuca, Pantera and Selva) that had divided the territory of Aquila among them because Aquila was considered an extinct neighborhood (Contrada Soppressa).

The following year, on July 2, 1719, Aquila won his first Palio with Strega at Vegliantino. The drappellone can still be seen in the museum and is the oldest preserved in Siena.

The district received the title of Nobile from Carlo V d’Asburgo on his visit to Siena in 1536.

Important locations and Festa Titolare

The Oratory of Aquila is the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, located in via del Casato, già della Congregazione dei Tredicini. The church was designed by Flaminio del Turco and given in concession to the neighborhood in 1788.

The baptismal fountain is on Piazza di Postierla and was made by sculptor Bruno Buracchini in 1963. On the base we read the district’s motto: “Unguis et Rostris”.

The Festa Titolare in honor of patron saint Santissimo Nome di Maria is celebrated on September 12.

Aquila 1
Aquila and the Palio
Aquila 4

Aquila has 24 officially recognized victories. The last one was on July 3, 1992, with Andrea Degortes (Aceto) on Galleggiante.

To date, Aquila has never won a Cappotto.

Between 2 July 1837 and 15 August 1871, Aquila won no Palio for 34 years. Aquila wore la cuffia up to 4 times (longest time without victory). Since July 2, 2016, and the victory of Lupa, they are again the ‘nonna’ of the Palio.

Anecdotes

The motto of the Contrada, Unguibus et Rostris, seems to be derived from that of the French city of Avignon: Unguibus et Rostro.

Aquila is the only neighborhood that has ever driven a Palio with a woman. On August 16, 1957, Rosanna Bonelli (detto Diavola, later known as Rompicollo, named after an operetta written by her father) rode the Palio for Aquila. She became known as stand-in for Diana Dors in “La Ragazza del Palio”. She did all the scenes on horseback. As a stunt, to promote the film, the film producers have done everything they can to find a neighborhood that wants to work with her. Eventually they were able to convince the captain of Aquila. It was not the best race, after a difficult start she fell in the second San Martino. Rompicollo himself wrote history and became Aquila contradaiolo who even awarded her the title of “honorary jockey.”

Aquila 2
Rivalry with Pantera

Aquila and Pantera go through life in fierce rivalry with each other. Unlike many others, this rivalry is not based on classical border disputes, but because of facts that took place during a race. The,rivalry has nothing to do with incidents between the two neighborhoods, but arose from the enmity between fantini.

On the occasion of the Palio of August 16, 1936, Pantera Ruello was assigned. This horse won his last 4 races and was therefore top favorite. Fantino was Corrado Meloni detto Meloncino. Pantera naturally wanted to win and enjoyed the support of Aquila, who was even an alleae at the time. Aquila was assigned Rondinella and chose Fernando Leoni detto Ganascia as a fantino. The problem was that the two jockeys had a gigantic hatred towards each other. During the Palio of July 1933, Ganascia had tackled 53-year-old Angelo Meloni detto Picino (father of, yes, Meloncino) hard with the whip. This was his last course for the old Picino. Ganascia won that race for Tartuca. Ganascia also won in August 1933, winning the Cappotto for Tartuca. The hate between Ganascia and the Meloni family that had grown out of this incident peaked in 1936.

As expected, Ganascia hindered Meloncino at the start so that he could put away all the ambitions to win the Palio. Relations between the two neighborhoods became tense. On paper, they remained ominous, but in 1939 and 1946, too, conflicts occurred. During the Festa Titolare of Aquila on 8 September 1947, a lot of reproaches were thrown towards Pantera by a speaker. This was the straw that dissolved the alliance and turned it into an official rivalry, which is still felt today.

A perfect example of the harshness of the rivalry between the two neighborhoods is the Palio of 2 July 1992. Aquila was assigned the fast Galleggiante and decided to appeal to Aceto (Andrea Degortes). In order to rob the enemy of the victory, Pantera called on Sebastiano Deledda detto Legno. The priority was: to hinder Aceto and ensure that Aquila would lose.

Legno followed the instructions perfectly. Even before the start, he provoked Aceto that it led to a rarely seen exchange of lashes between the ropes. Since the penalties are only pronounced after the Palio, they could still participate in the race. (Aceto received 1 palio suspension, Legno no less than 5). Even after this, Legno continues its actions. Both leave last.

Pantera, with the fast Zucchero, does an unlikely remonte and runs first in the San Martino. Aceto starts a catch-up race. In the second round Pantera is first and Aquila second. At Fonte Gaia, Pantera falls in a very bizarre way so that Aquila can grab the head. Aceto wins his 14th and last Palio.


Victories
1

02/07/1719
Strega
Vegliantino

2

02/07/1749
Ministro
Crigiolato

3

08/07/1753
Luchino
Morello del Giannetti

4

02/07/1770
Sorba
Sauro bruciato di Pietro Testi

5

02/07/1773
Nacche
Falto di Giuseppe Gigli

6

02/07/1796
Biggeri
Morello di Giovanni Baldini

7

16/08/1797
Gobbo Chiarini
Morello di Giovanni Baldini

8

02/07/1815
Ciccina
Baio scuro di Stanislao Pagliai

9

02/07/1821
Ciccina
Baio scuro di Stanislao Pagliai

10

02/07/1837
Campanino
Baio chiaro balz. di Giovanni Piazzesi

11

15/08/1871
Mascherino
Storno di Luigi Grandi

12

16/08/1880
Il Moro
Morello di Remigio Bellini

13

17/08/1887
(cavalli scossi)
Gigia

14

16/08/1906
Nappa
Stornino

15

02/07/1931
Cittino
Lina

16

02/07/1939
Pietrino
Folco

17

02/07/1956
Mezz’Etto
Archetta

18

02/07/1959
Tristezza
Salomè de Mores

19

02/07/1965
Aceto
Ettore

20

16/08/1973
Ercolino
Panezio

21

16/08/1979
Aceto
Urbino de Ozieri

22

02/07/1981
Bastiano
Rimini

23

16/08/1988
Bucefalo
Figaro

24

03/07/1992
Aceto
Gallegiante

In addition, Aquila attributes itself to 4 more victories, not recognized by the city of Siena:

  1. 1610: bufalata won by fantino Nottolone.
  2. 1614: Gioco delle pugna (fist battles) fought on the Piazza del Carmine.
  3. 1622: bufalata won by fantino Menico.
  4. 17 agosto 1841: second place in a Palio straordinario driven by all neighborhoods of the city.

Images

Drappelloni and Numeri Unici

Drappellone and Numeri Unici can be found on pages on our Dutch website (pages will open in new tab) :


Debuting fantini
  • Since July 2, 1775, 483 fantini debuted on the Piazza
  • In 1928, no less than 9 fantini debuted (in 3 courses).
  • 21 fantini won their debut.
  • Aquila had 25 fantini debut since 1775
  • Il Moro won on his debut
  • The longest period without a debutant is 35 years: 2/7/1922-16/8/1957
1Belforte2/7/1793
2Pettiere I16/8/1809
3Figlio Di Stecco16/8/1838
4Prete2/7/1839
5Spazzino16/8/1840
6Baule16/8/1841
7Stralanchi15/8/1848
8Il Moro16/8/1880
9Morino II16/8/1885
10Moro II2/7/1888
11Montieri2/7/1891
12Palle2/7/1899
13Titino2/7/1922
14Diavola16/8/1957
15Gianburrasca5/6/1961
16Sorriso2/7/1963
17Moro IV16/8/1963
18Pizzichetto2/7/1969
19Ercolino2/7/1973
20Tavoletta2/7/1980
21Castoro2/7/1982
22Davide2/7/1989
23Tiburzi2/7/2008
24Strappo2/7/2010
25Scangeo16/8/2019

Never happened

Below you will find events that have never happened before and that cause some kind of superstition in the contradaioli. MAI or never is of course a relative term. The further we go back in time, the less data is stored and the more uncertain we become.

Aquila has never :

  1. won a cappotto
  2. won a palio in the 21st century
  3. won when they rode together with Bruco and Onda, Bruco and Selva, Nicchio and Selva and Pantera and Selva
  4. won in July when Selva also rode
  5. won with a fantino that also won in Onda
  6. won when they were selected as 4th, 5th or 6th (estrazione)
  7. won from 3rd, 5th or 6th position at the start
  8. won when they were at the start next to Bruco, Civetta, Nicchio, Onda or Selva
  9. won a palio when they were drawn together with Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Istrice, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Selva, Tartuca or Torre
  10. won a palio in August after they were drawn by lottery
  11. won a palio alla romana
  12. won a palio with Bruco, Drago or Oca as the rincorsa
Last update : 15 november 2019