Museo della Contrada della Chiocciola

Museum of the Siena contrada della Chiocciola with sacred furnishings and vestments, and the Sala delle Vittorie in the former monastery of San Paolo.

Opening hoursFree admission

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About the museum

The museum of the Contrada della Chiocciola comprises two parts: the museum of sacred furnishings and vestments, and the Sala delle Vittorie. The first, opened on 25 June 1981, was the first museum of its kind set up in Siena by a contrada: the Chiocciola chose to display all its cult objects, which bear witness to the deep devotion of the Sienese districts. It is housed in a room of the former monastery of San Paolo, connected to the contrada's church.

The main hall displays sacred vestments (chasubles, copes and dalmatics), chalices, monstrances, reliquaries, missals and candlesticks from the 17th to the 19th century. Among the most valuable pieces is a chasuble of gold-lamé fabric on red silk from the second half of the 18th century, left in Siena by Pope Pius VI in 1798, as well as a silver filigree cross and a rare gilded wooden lectern from the 17th century. A corridor holds a signed and dated canvas of 1610 by Ventura Salimbeni depicting Saint Frances of Rome.

The Sala delle Vittorie occupies the crypt of the church, acquired by the contrada in 1974 and opened in 1982. It displays the palii won, costumes from various periods, old flags and masgalani, together with documents and memorabilia of the district, such as the Constitutions of the contrada of 1663, the oldest among those of the Sienese contrade.

Highlights

Museum of sacred furnishings and vestments, opened in 1981
Gold-lamé chasuble on red silk left by Pius VI in 1798
Canvas by Ventura Salimbeni dated 1610 with Saint Frances of Rome
Sala delle Vittorie in the crypt, with palii, costumes and masgalani
Constitutions of the contrada from 1663

Founded: 1981
Operated by: Contrada della Chiocciola