Titular festivities - happenings and parties of the Contradas of Siena

After two years of pandemic, Siena has finally officially reopened the season for parties and contradas evenings. The parties are celebrations reserved only for the Contrada members, while the evenings are celebrations open to all, so what better way to live and fully breathe the local culture than to take part in it. Finally, for the duration of the festival, the Contrada keeps its rooms open to visitors.

How they work and when they happen

Each society organizes celebrations to celebrate the patron saint of its own district; the dates are established on the basis of a precise calendar, if the recurrence falls on a working day, it is postponed to the next public holiday. They start in spring when the weather starts to be nice and warmer and last until September, being the 17 contradas.

How the Titular Festivities take place

The Titular Feasts begin with the mass in the Contrada Church in honor of the Patron Saint, called "Solemn Matins". The bells are rung, the representatives of the "allied" Contradas are received (read the article dedicated to the Palio to find out what they are), whose flags are displayed in the Church or waved along the main street of the district together with that of the celebrating Contrada.
Sunday is reserved for the exit of the entire district, the so-called "Giro", that is the district that celebrates goes to "greet" all the other districts; a hundred figures including standard bearers and drummers who walk the streets of the city paying homage to their members and friendly Contrade with a flag. A celebratory sonnet in honor of the Saint and the Contrada is distributed to the citizens. In the evening there is the return procession, with a band cheering the parade, playing the official anthem.
Another moment of Sunday celebrations is the "Battesimo Contradaiolo", a lay baptism, which has the purpose of "sacralizing" perpetual belonging to one's own district.
The evenings open to all are a very picturesque convivial moment, with numerous refreshment points, located along the district, and music.

The dates of the Festivals:

• 26 April: Valdimontone - Madonna del Buon Consiglio – “Serate Rosa”
• 29 April: Oca - Santa Caterina da Siena – “L’Ocanada”
• 29 April: Drago - Santa Caterina da Siena – “Voltoni”
• First Sunday of June: Giraffa - Visitazione di Maria SS.ma
• 13 June: Civetta - Sant'Antonio da Padova
• 13 June: Tartuca - Sant'Antonio da Padova
• 24 June: Leocorno - S. Giovanni Battista – “Leco in valle”
• 29 June: Chiocciola - SS. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo - “L’Oliveta in festa”
• 2 July: Bruco - Visitazione di Maria SS.ma – “Baobello”
• 2 July: Onda - Visitazione di Maria SS.ma
• 25 July: Torre - S. Giacomo Apostolo – “Mangia e bevi”
• 7 August: Nicchio - S. Gaetano da Thiene – “Pania”
• 15 August: Selva - Assunzione della B.ta Vergine
• 16 August: Lupa - S. Rocco Confessore
• 24 August: Istrice - S. Bartolomeo Apostolo
• 29 August: Pantera - S. Giovanni Decollato
• 12 September: Aquila - S. Nome di Maria – “Festa della birra”