Summary
ColorsRed and blue with white band
SymbolPanther
TerzoTerzo di Città
HeadquartersVia San Quirico 26
MuseumVia San Quirico 26
ClubhouseSocietà “Due Porte”, Via San Quirico
ContradaioliPanterini
OratoryChiesa del Carmine
Paitron SaintS.Giovanni Decollato (fourth sunday of august)
Enemie(s)Aquila (dal 1947)
Allied ContradeAquila (dal 1730 al 1947)
Chiocciola (dal 1813)
Civetta (dal 1794)
Giraffa (dal 1781)
Leocorno (dal 1792)
Selva (dal 1780 al 1789)
Victories26 officially recognized
Websitehttp://www.contradadellapantera.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 di Stalloreggi
  • Madonna del Corvo
  • via di San Quirico
  • Fosso di Sant’Ansano
  • via Paolo Mascagni
  • via Ettore Bastianini
  • via del Nuovo Asilo
  • Pian dei Mantellini
  • piazza del Conte
  • vicolo del Contino
  • piazzetta delle Due Porte
History

We do not know for sure what the reason is that the residents of Laterino and Stalloreggi chose the Panther as a symbol of their neighborhood. A possible reason is that it was a tribute to the Republic of Lucca, who had a Panther on their coat of arms.

It would have been a tribute from the neighborhood to a number of merchants from Lucca who allegedly lived in Stalloreggi in the 15th century. In 1481, the Republic of Siena adopted a law that made it easier for traders from Lucca to settle in Siena and do business. However, there is no trace of their presence in the Pantera district.

Pantera 3
Important locations and Festa Titolare
Pantera 1

The Oratory of Pantera is the Chiesa del Carmine. The building has undergone considerable changes in appearance as well as in use over the centuries. It was built by the Carmelites in the mid-thirteenth century on the site of the former church of San Niccolò dating from the eighth century. The current building largely dates from the fourteenth century, with changes in 1517 attributed to Baldassarre Peruzzi. It is a very large church that lends itself well to the blessing of the horse.
Note: first let the contradaioli enter and enter as last and take a place in the back. The church is large enough but respect the Pantera prottettori at this important moment.

The baptismal fountain is on the Piazza del Conte. It was made in 1977 by Giulio Corsini. The district’s motto is on the base.

The Festa Titolare in honor of patron saint S.Giovanni Decollato is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of August.

Pantera and the Palio

Pantera has 26 officially recognized victories. The last one was on July 2, 2006, with Andrea Mari (Brio) on Choci.

Until now, Pantera never won a Cappotto.

The longest period without victories of the Pantera is 42 years, which lasted from July 2, 1702 to August 16, 1744. After the victory of Nicchio in 1731, Pantera became ‘nonna’ for the first time. This event took place on two other moments : between July 3, 1892 and July 3, 1904 and between August 16, 1962 and July 2, 1963.

Pantera 4
Anecdotes

In July 1930 Pantera was assigned a horse (un baio di proprietà di Adamo Lunghi) of which very little was expected. The management of the neighborhood decided to give a very cheap fantino the chance.

The first choice was Primetto Cortigiani detto Ciambella who was able to prove the first three. However, the panterini hated his person so much that the neighborhood changed fantino: Alfredo Iacopini detto Grattapassere. It was an inexperienced rider, who once rode the Palio in 1925 for Drago. That race was one big disappointment. However, he was very sympathetic to the panterini.

Ciambella, however, did not agree with the exclusion and demanded a draw to determine who could be the fantino with the Palio himself. The person responsible for the draw, however, wrote the name of Grattapassere on both papers, so that it would certainly be drawn.

Grattapassere rode the entire course in last position. Nevertheless, he was celebrated after the race by the panterini who kept him in his heart forever. In 1974 the neighborhood magazine was even named after him. To this day, this magazine appears several times a year.

Rivalry with Selva

Palio of 4 October 1745: Selva’s mare, who was in the lead, was stopped on the track by a panterino who wanted to favor his neighborhood. This also succeeded and Pantera won. The panterino was arrested. The relationship between the neighborhoods turned out to be strange, but where unchanged. In 1786 tensions arose again between the neighborhoods. The Chiesa dei Tessitori, which had been the seat of Selva since 1778, was in Pantera territory. In July 1786, Pantera had to leave his Cappella di San Giovanni, where the seat was located to build a new cemetery. The city council decided that Pantera should move into the Chiesa dei Tessitori. Selva was forced to leave his headquarters and had to move to the Chiesa di San Desiderio.

The rivalry was born. In 1813 Pantera voluntarily left the Chiesa dei Tessitori and went to San Quirico. The Chiesa dei Tessitori, however, did not return to Selva. She was evacuated and Pantera turned it into a warehouse.

In the following years the enmity lived enormously on the Piazza del Campo during the Palio. The rivalry also raged alongside the Piazza. In 1867, after a race, heavy fighting took place on the “Fosso di Sant’Ansano”. Four years later, Antonio Mancianti, a shoemaker from Selva, was murdered by a certain Bifino, panterino. Less than three years later, that Bifino was found dead.

Pantera 2

After these tragic events, it was time for peace. The rivalry gradually faded. The very old contradaioli sometimes tell stories about it so it is not forgotten.

Rivalry with Aquila

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. Moreover, 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 serving 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 giganstic 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 so hard that it led to a rarely seen exchange of lashes between the ropes. Since the penalties are only pronounced after the Palio, they could of course still participate in the race. (Aceto received 1 palio suspension, Legno no less than 5). Even after this, Legno continues its actions. Both start 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

02/07/1691
Sciano
?

2

02/07/1696
Strega
leardo della Posta

3

02/07/1697
Pavolino
baio dorato

4

02/07/1702
Pelliccino
Naviglio

5

16/08/1744
Bechino
morello del Maddali

6

04/10/1745
Masino
baio scuro della Scala

7

02/07/1759
Luchino
baio scuro del Ricci

8

02/07/1764
Checchino
stornello del Falorsi

9

18/08/1788
Groppa Secca
baio sfacciato del Morichetti

10

08/09/1803
Mattiaccio
stornello del Pasquini

11

16/08/1808
Caino
baio del Batazzi

12

16/08/1821
Ferrino Maggiore
stornello del Felli

13

02/07/1835
Campanino
morello dello Iacopi

14

18/08/1839
cavalli scossi
cavallo del Bianchi

15

02/07/1863
Paolaccino
storno del Grandi

16

02/07/1874
Il Citto
storno del Pisani

17

03/07/1904
Nappa
Ida

18

02/07/1926
Bubbolo
Giacca

19

02/07/1951
Ciancone
Archetta

20

02/07/1963
Canapino
Eucalipto

21

02/07/1971
Canapino
Mirabella

22

16/08/1978
Cianchino
Urbino de Ozieri

23

16/08/1987
Cianchino
Benito III

24

16/08/1991
Il Pesse
Pytheos

25

02/07/1994
Massimino
Uberto

26

02/07/2006
Brio
Choci

In addition, Pantera attributes itself to 3 more victories, not recognized by the city of Siena:

  1. 15 agosto 1643: bufalata
  2. 15 agosto 1646: bufalata
  3. 1667

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.
  • Pantera had 37 fantini debut since 1775
  • None of them won on his debut
  • The longest period without a debutant is 25 years : 16/8/1984-…
1Pacchiano16/8/1782
2Memmo di Monteroni16/8/1790
3Caino I16/8/1799
4Vecchio2/7/1816
5Maremmani II17/8/1823
6Stecco2/7/1826
7Giacco2/7/1833
8Beppaccio3/7/1836
9Conchiglia16/8/1839
10Figlio di Bonino2/7/1841
11Beniamino18/8/1842
12Gobbo Fenzi2/7/1846
13Rogantino16/8/1847
14Contadino21/10/1849
15Montermini Domenico28/9/1862
16Seccaticci Augusto16/8/1877
17Boggione4/7/1880
18Beppino16/8/1881
19Roti Angelo2/7/1888
20Gaggia2/7/1902
21Testina16/8/1902
22Menichetti Santi16/8/1907
23Moscone17/8/1913
24Nocciolino I2/7/1924
25Smania16/8/1928
26Torrini Ezio16/8/1930
27Rubacuori2/7/1945
28Lampino2/7/1948
29Tristezza2/7/1955
30Guanto4/9/1960
31El Argentino16/8/1965
32Bubbolino II2/7/1968
33Aramis2/7/1972
34Turbina16/8/1973
35Ragno16/8/1974
36Musino2/7/1981
37Truciolo16/8/1984

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.

Pantera has never :

  1. won a cappotto
  2. won when Civetta and Giraffa, Civetta and Torre, Drago and Lupa, Giraffa and Lupa, Lupa and Torre, Onda and Torre participated
  3. won in august when Civetta or Lupa or Torre participated
  4. won when they were selected as 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or 9th (estrazione)
  5. won from position 1, 2, 6 or 7 at the start
  6. won standing next to Bruco or Chiocciola or Giraffa or Leocorno or Lupa or Selva at the start
  7. won a july palio when extracted together woth Leocorno
  8. won an august palio when extracted together with Civetta or Drago or Giraffa or Nicchio
  9. won a palio alla romana
  10. won a palio when Nicchio, Onda or Valdimontone was the rincorsa

Last update : 10 december 2019