More Contrada Fountains

    Over the course of this weekend, I've gone on several passeggiate or walks around the city.  While on this walks I've stumbled across contrada fountains, churches (you wouldn't believe how many gorgeous, old churches there are in Siena!), a botanical garden, and several non-contrada fountains.  If you read my last post, you'll know that it was also the weekend of the medieval market, which was basically in my backyard considering how close the Piazza del Campo is to my apartment!  It turned out to be a very exciting weekend filled with lots of pleasant surprises.  Below: the Palazzo Pubblico & the adjoining Tower del Mangia.

Below: Fonte di Pantaneto, which serves as the contrada fountain/baptismal font for the Leocorno (Unicorn) contrada.  A note about contrada fountains: most contrada fountains serve as a baptismal font as well as a symbol of the contrada.  However, there are some contrada fountains (such as the Ram contrada fountain) which are not baptismal fonts.  

Below: Chiesa di San Martino, or Church of Saint Martin

Aquila (Eagle) contrada fountain/baptismal font; the fourth contrada fountain that I've found so far.

Pantera (Panther) contrada fountain/baptismal font.  It is very near to the above Eagle contrada fountain.

San Sebastiano or Church of Saint Sebastian.  The church/oratory of the Selva (Forest) contrada.

Mural showing the symbol of the Selva (Forest) contrada by the Selva church & fountain.  In this work of art, you can see the passion and devotion the Sienese invest in their contrada.

Selva (Forest) contrada fountain/baptismal font.  So far, this has to be my favorite contrada fountain because of its innovative use of a real tree to signify the forest.

Chiesa di San Niccolò al Carmine

Plaque of the Chicciola (Snail) contrada.

Plaque showing the supply office of the Tartuca (turtle) contrada.

I wasn't even looking for this fountain when I found it.  I had just found 3 fountains, but was frustrated because I couldn't find the Tartuca (turtle) fountain.  I was just starting to walk back to my apartment when I stumbled upon the Tartuca fountain unexpectedly.  It was such a wonderful surprise!

Fonte del Casato, which is known by many as the hidden fountain because of its covert location.  This fountain was also a pleasant surprise to me; on my way back to my apartment I saw an alley called Vicolo di Fonte, which intrigued me, so I went down it and found this fountain.

A street sign in the Onda (Wave) contrada.  Most street signs have a contrada plaque above them which denotes a contrada's territory, especially if it's on a boundary between two contrade.

    A sign on the building that I live in.  I had actually not noticed it until yesterday because it's above my usual field of vision.  It says: "In this palace, of wealth and illustrious lineage, was born Fabio Chigi on February 13th,  1599 in the territory of the Wave Contrada.  Elected as Pope Alexander VII on April 7, 1655, he was the innovator of devotion to the Patron Saint of Siena, implementer in Rome of Bernini's portico of St. Peter's Square, Pope until his death".  Believe it or not, I live in the palace (yes, palace) that a Sienese Pope was born and raised in!  As the plaque says, he was a great patron of the famous sculptor Bernini, and he sponsored the building of the colonnade which still surrounds St. Peter's Square to this day.

At any time while walking around Siena, you can see many plaques and images adorning buildings if you tilt your head up.  This plaque indicates the territory of the Oca (goose) contrada.

Church inside of the Oca (goose) contrada

Looking up the hill to San Domenico, the large church that I walk by on my way to school everyday.

(Above & Below): Fontebranda Fountain which serves as the fountain & baptismal font of the Oca (goose) contrada.  Their church, Santuario di Santa Caterina, is just up the hill from this fountain.

Courtyard of the Santuario di Santa Caterina, which used to be St. Catherine's house.  Since then, it has been converted into a series of oratories and a museum.

Statue of St. Caterina of Siena inside the entrance to her house.  She is perhaps one of the most famous people to come out of Siena.

Watching the sunset from a balcony of Santuario di Santa Caterina.

Oratory inside Santuario di Santa Caterina, which serves as the official oratory of the Oca (goose) contrada.

San Cristoforo, also the oratory of the Civetta (Little Owl) contrada in Piazza Tolomei

Santa Maria di Provenzano, which is a little-known church hidden down this side-street near the Civetta's church.  The dome reminds me a lot of St. Peter's Basilica (although the church was built in a different architectural style than St. Peter's Basilica) and seems to be made of similar materials, but on a much smaller scale.  It is the only church in Siena built in the Baroque style which sets it apart because most of the architecture in Siena is Gothic & Medieval with a little Renaissance mixed in here and there.

Piazza Salimbeni, which is my favorite piazza because of how beautifully it is lit at night.  It is named for one of the most powerful families in Siena in the medieval era.