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Summary
| Colors | White and light blue |
| Symbol | Dolfin (wave) |
| Terzo | Terzo di Città |
| Headquarters | Via Giovanni Dupre 111 |
| Museum | Via Giovanni Dupre 111 |
| Clubhouse | Società “Giovanni Dupre”, Vicolo di San Salvatore |
| Contradaioli | Ondaioli |
| Oratorio | Chiesa di San Giuseppe |
| Paitron Saint | Visitazione di Maria Santissima (2 july, but celebrated on the fourth sunday of june) |
| Enemie(s) | Torre |
| Allied contrade | Nicchio (dal 1684) Oca (antecedente il 1643 fino al 1966) Tartuca (dal 1933) Valdimontone (dal 1781) |
| Victories | 41,5 officially recognized |
| Website | http://www.contradacapitanadellonda.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 Giovanni Duprè
- Casato di Sotto (part)
- Casato di Sopra
- Via di San Pietro (part)
- Via di Fontanella
- Via delle Lombarde
- Via della Fonte
- Via del Mercato
- Via del Sambuco
- Via di Sant’Agata (part)
- Vicolo delle Pietre
- Vicolo di San Salvadore
- Vicolo della Stufa
- Vicolo degli Ugurgieri
- Vicolo della Fonte
- Piazza del Mercato (part)
History
The Contrada has its origins in the 15th century by merging the military units of Casato di Sotto and San Salvadore. The two units were responsible for the garrison of the Republic of Siena in the Tyrrhenian Sea. This was located in Talamone, 25 km from Grosseto. Perhaps this is the reason why, when merging the two neighborhoods of Siena, they chose a Wave and Fish as a logo. The undulating streets of the neighborhood also contributed to that choice.
Until today, the inhabitants of Talamone are regarded as the district’s prottettori.
Important locations and Festa Titolare
The Oratory is dedicated to San Giuseppe. The main entrance is in Via di Fontanella. The church was built by carpenters (Legnaioli) between 1522 and did not end until 1653, when it finished the facade. The church was given the official name “San Giuseppe dei Legnaioli” as a tribute.
In 1787 she was donated to Onda by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo and became the Oratory of the neighborhood.
The baptismal fountain is located in front of The Oratory in Via di Fontanella. It was built in 1972 and designed by Alfonso Buoninsegni and Algero Rosi.
The Festa Titolare in honor of Visitazione di Maria Santissima is celebrated on July 2. Because this coincides with the Palio, Onda celebrates this on the fourth Sunday of June.
Onda and the Palio
Onda has 41.5 wins. The last one dates from 4 luglio 2024 when Brigante won on Tabacco.
Onda won 1 Cappotto in 1779.
On August 16, 1713, Onda won a shared Palio with Tartuca. Onda, with Giovan Battista Pistoi detto Cappallaro 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 had to be taken by the Biccherna, the judicial body. On September 10, Marcello Martini of the Biccherna decided that the victory should be shared by both neighborhoods. The drappellone is cut into two equal parts. The sum of 40 coins must also be divided.
To this day, this is the only Palio that has been awarded to two neighborhoods.
Anecdotes
Like 7 other districts from Siena, Onda has a title in the name. Onda is called “Capitana”. This is a consequence of another task of the military units. After all, they were responsible for guarding the Palazzo Publicco. This was the seat of the Capitano di Giustizia. Until 1777 the court of first instance was here. In 1777 this became the Court of Justice and in 1808 it was permanently moved.
Rivalry with Torre
The rivalry between Onda and Torre is the oldest in the city and dates back to the 16th century.
Discussions about territory, as well as the very strong alliance between Oca (historic rival of Torre) and Onda (ended in 1966) were at the basis of this rivalry. This rivalry peaked in the mid-17th and early 18th centuries.
In 1641 Onda entrusted his horse to Torre. Despite the promise to give it back for the race, this did not happen and Torre de Palio won. Onda answered this insult by stealing a copper drum from Torre.
In the following decades it went from bad to worse. During the Palio of July 2, 1688, Torre’s fantino pulled the reins of Onda’s second Casato horse. In response, someone from Onda’s Corteo Storico killed Torre’s standard bearer. The Ondaiolo fled and could not be arrested for his act. The tension between the two neighborhoods increased and contradaioli from the other neighborhood were promptly thrown out of their homes and employees were fired if they were employed by someone of the enemy.
In 1713 a discussion followed between a ondaiolo and the captain of Torre. This ended with a knife stab from the ondaiolo. The angry torraioli promptly invaded Malborghetto to take revenge. Time to restore peace was thought in Siena. On 10 August of the same year, a notarial act signed a reconciliation that heralded the end of rivalry. As a symbolic gesture, Onda returned the stolen drum to Torre.
The contacts between the two neighborhoods became better. During the Palio of July 2, 1811, things got out of hand again. Torre was the first to cross the line, followed by Onda. A big fight arose. The ondaioli claimed that Torre had only ran two rounds. Both districts went to Provenzano for the Te Deum. Only the next day was the Drappellone awarded to … Torre.
The rivalry between Onda and Torre is not a mutual one today. Onda regarded Torre as a real rival that must be stopped at all times. Torre, however, does not recognize the enmity with Onda and dismisses them as “a difficult neighbor”. Torre puts his energy in Oca, which can also be seen very clearly in the district’s victory tokens and books. There is only mockery with Oca.
A perfect illustration of this is the Palio of August 1972 when Onda won because of an error by Aceto that did not win for Oca. The torraioli celebrated Onda’s victory because earthly rival had lost Oca.
On the other hand, it was not so long ago (early 1980s) that Torre, after a bad loss, invaded Onda to be pelted with everything the ondaioli found to protect themselves. Pots and pans were thrown through the windows at the torraioli.
Images
Drappelloni and Numeri Unici
Drappellone and Numeri Unici can be found on pages on our Dutch website (pages will open in new tab) :
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.
Onda has never :
- won in august when Civetta or Leocorno participated
- won with a fantino who also won for Aquila
- won when they were selected as 2nd or 6th (estrazione)
- won from position 4, 6 or 7 at the start *
- won standing next to Bruco or Istrice or Nicchio or Valdimontone at the start
- won a juli palio when extracted together with Aquila or Bruco or Chiocciola or Civetta or Drago or Istrice or Leocorno or Lupa or Selva
- won a palio alla romana
- won a palio with cavalli scossi
- won a palio when Giraffa, Tartuca or Torre was rincorsa
* Lupa was placed 3rd for the Palio on 16 August 2017. But due to an injury of the horse, they eventually did not walk. As a result, Onda, who were drawn as 4th, moved on to place 3.
Last update : 10 august 2026