Summary
ColorsBlue and yellow
SymbolTurtle
TerzoTerzo di Città
HeadquartersVia Tommaso Pendola 21
MuseumVia Tommaso Pendola 21
ClubhouseSocietà “Castelsenio”, Via Tommaso Pendola
ContradaioliTartuchini
OratoryOratorio di Sant’Antonio da Padova
Paitron SaintSant’Antonio da Padova (13 june)
Enemie(s)Chiocciola (antecedente il 1652)
Allied contradeChiocciola (dal 1689 al 1814, dal 1820 al 1840, dal 1866 al 1910)
Leocorno (dal 1815)
Oca (dal 1933 al 1975)
Onda (dal 1933)
Nicchio (dal 1933)
Selva (dal 1789)
Torre (dal 1689 al 1933)
Victories48,5 officially recognized
Websitehttp://www.tartuca.it

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:

  • Via delle Cerchia
  • Via di Castelvecchio
  • Via Pier Andrea Mattioli
  • Via Tito Sarrocchi
  • Via Tommaso Pendola
  • Via San Pietro (part)
  • Via Sant’Agata (part)
  • Vicolo di Castelvecchio
  • Vicolo del Saltarello
  • Vicolo della Tartuca
  • Piazza Prato di Sant’Agostino
  • Piazza Silvio Gigli
History

Although there is no absolute certainty about the exact historical origin of the Contrade of Siena, we do know that the Contrada della Tartuca originated from the so-called “contrata di Castelvecchio”, in the oldest part of the city of Siena, probably even of Etruscan origin .

Tartuca 3

It is certain that as early as the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the inhabitants of Castelvecchio participated in the bullfights (cacce dei tori) and in the “bufalate”, the precursors of the Palio. The symbol was black and yellow, and at that time already had the image of a turtle.

One of the first meetings of the neighborhood took place in the seventeenth century in the then church of the neighborhood, the Chiesa delle Carceri di Sant’Ansano This was dedicated to Ansano di Siena, patron saint of the neighborhood. Tartuca later tried in vain to buy the church from the “Opera del Duomo”. Because this failed, a house was bought in Via delle Murella and they built an Oratory dedicated to Antonio di Padova, the new protector of Tartuca.

Important locations and Festa Titolare

The Oratory of Tartuca is located in the headquarters of the district. The Oratorio di Sant’Antonio da Padova is dedicated to the patron saint of the district, Antonio di Padova. The church was built in the 17th century on the site of an old house that the district had bought. The church is fully built by the tartuchini itself. The designer, Niccolo Franchini, was then a prior of the district.

The baptismal fountain is located in Via Tommaso Pendola, at the intersection with Via San Pietro and was realized in 1951 by Bruno Buracchini.

The Festa Titolare in honor of patron saint Sant’Antonio da Padova is celebrated on 13 June.

Tartuca 1
Tartuca and the Palio
Tartuca 4

Tartuca has 48.5 officially recognized victories. The last one was on October 20, 2018, with Andrea Coghe (Tempesta) on Remorex.

Tartuca has won a Cappotto twice. The first in 1886, then in 1933.

On August 16, 1713, Onda won a shared Palio with Tartuca. Onda, with Giovan Battista Pistoi detto Cappellaro on Barberino. He turned the Casato in first position and let his horse roll out. Tartuca came alongside on the finish line.

The victory was attributed to Onda, much to the tartucini’s anger. The Guidici della Corsa now had to judge. They claimed the drappellone back and the decision now had to be made by the Biccherna, the judicial body. On September 10, Marcello Martini of the Biccherna decides that the victory must be shared by both neighborhoods. The drappellone is cut into two equal parts. The sometimes of 40 coins must also be divided.

To this day, this is the only Palio that has been awarded to two neighborhoods.

Anecdotes

In the 1930s, Tartuca was a member of the most solid alliance in the history of the Palio, called T.O.N.O., composed of Tartuca, Oca, Nicchio, and Onda.

The alliance came into being in 1927 with the victory of Nicchio in Augutus. The first major successes were achieved in 1928. Oca won in July, Nicchio in August and Onda won the September street scenario. In 1930 it was prize again: Onda won in July and Tartuca won the win in August. 1931 was again for Oca, 1932 for Onda and Nicchio and, to top it all, Tartuca won the Cappotto in 1933.

In 1934 the alliance came to an end when Oca won in August for Nicchio who had a better horse but had to lose because agreements were agreements at the time of the T.O.N.O.

Between August 1927 and 1934, 16 Palios were disputed. T.O.N.O. won 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12 respectively. The rivals none at all.

Tartuca 2
Rivalry with Chiocciola

The rivalry between Chiocciola and Tartuca is one of the oldest and most deeply rooted in Siena. Moments of enmity alternated moments of friendship and self-alliance. Since 1910, and a victory of Tartuca, we are again in a period of enmity.


Victories
1

02/07/1651
Mone
?

2

02/07/1678
Pavolino
?

3

02/07/1685
Mone
?

4

02/07/1700
Savino Oste
Grillo

4,5

16/08/1713
Ruglia
Montalcino

5,5

02/07/1714
Ignudo
Pizzirullo

6,5

01/05/1722
Strega
Belladonna

7,5

02/07/1725
Cerrino
Bellafronte

8,5

02/07/1733
Cappellaro
morello del Parigini

9,5

02/07/1735
Mazzini Antonio
morello di Siena

10,5

04/07/1756
Luchino
Morello stellato del Vichi

11,5

02/07/1769
Nacche
baio del Mancini

12,5

02/07/1786
Dorino
morello maltinto del Dei

13,5

16/08/1790
Dorino
morello stellato del Bruttini

14,5

02/07/1797
Ciocio
morello maltinto del Ceccarelli

15,5

17/08/1800
Pulpettino
baio bruciato del Brecchi

16,5

02/07/1802
Biggeri
stornello del Valacchi

17,5

20/08/1804
Giuseppetto
sauro balzano del Ricci

18,5

04/06/1809
Cavalli scossi
Rondinello

19,5

16/08/1812
Cicciolesso
morello bruciato del Mariotti

20,5

16/08/1813
Caino
baio scuro del Lippi

21,5

02/07/1817
Caino
baio scuro del Pagliai

22,5

03/07/1836
Pipistrello
morello del Cubbatoli

23,5

02/07/1843
Campanino
morello del Riccucci

24,5

16/08/1861
Bachicche
storno del Bandini

25,5

15/08/1872
Paolaccino
morello del Marchetti

26,5

04/07/1886
Leggerino
Carbonello

27,5

16/08/1886
Pietrino d’Arezzo
Farfallina

28,5

04/07/1889
Tabarre
Gemma

29,5

16/08/1891
Tabarre
Farfallina

30,5

16/08/1895
Ansanello
baio zaino del Manetti

31,5

16/08/1898
Bellino
Gamba di ferro

32,5

16/08/1902
Scansino
baio stella in fronte

33,5

16/08/1910
Scansino
Stella

34,5

16/08/1914
Bubbolo
baio stella in fronte

35,5

16/08/1930
Ganascia
Carnera

36,5

02/07/1933
Ganascia
Folco

37,5

16/08/1933
Ganascia
Folco

38,5

16/08/1951
Ciancone
Bagnorea

39,5

02/07/1953
Ranco
Tarantella

40,5

02/07/1967
Canapino
Ettore

41,5

02/07/1972
Aceto
Mirabella

42,5

03/07/1991
Cianchino
Uberto

43,5

16/08/1994
Il Bufera
Delfort Song

44,5

16/08/2002
Trecciolino
Berio

45,5

16/08/2004
Trecciolino
Alesandra

46,5

02/07/2009
Gingillo
Già del Menhir

47,5

16/08/2010
Trecciolino
Istriceddu

48,5

20/10/2018
Tempesta
Remorex

In addition, Tartuca grants itself 6 additional Palios, not recognized by the City of Siena:

  1. 15 agosto 1633
  2. 2 luglio 1638
  3. 2 luglio 1643
  4. 2 luglio 1664 with Mone
  5. 2 luglio 1670 with Fantino da Monterotondo on Stornello del prete di Monterotondo
  6. 2 luglio 1682 with Bacchino

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.
  • Tartuca had 23 fantini debut since 1775
  • Ganascia won on his debut
  • The longest period without a debutant is 31 jaar : 17/8/1845-16/8/1876
1Mugnaio16/8/1777
2Romano II2/7/1791
3Pancia Nera2/7/1796
4Valente I16/8/1798
5Ghiozzo2/7/1820
6Pipistrello2/7/1831
7Bellino I2/7/1838
8Bartalotta17/8/1845
9Peggio16/8/1876
10Mugnaino II29/5/1893
11Gobbo9/9/1900
12Cispa2/7/1914
13Magnelli Carlo2/7/1921
14Ulisse16/8/1928
15Ganascia16/8/1930
16Pisano2/7/1945
17Liscio16/8/1974
18Legno16/8/1979
19Cittino II2/7/1984
20Imolino16/8/1987
21Tredici2/7/1988
22Brio16/8/2001
23Carburo2/7/2011

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.

Tartuca has never :

  1. had the cuffia
  2. won when they were selected as 2nd or 7th (estrazione)
  3. won starting as rincorsa
  4. won standing next to Drago or Giraffa at the start
  5. won a july palio after being extracted together with Aquila or Chiocciola or Drago or Giraffa or Lupa or Onda
  6. won an august palio after being extracted together with Leocorno or Nicchio or Pantera
  7. won a palio alla romana
  8. won a palio when Aquila or Civetta was the rincorsa

Last update : 13 december 2019