Museo della Contrada Imperiale della Giraffa

Museum of the Siena contrada della Giraffa beneath the basilica of Provenzano: palii won, the triptych of titles and the Oratorio della Visitazione.

Opening hours unknownFree admission

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About the museum

The museum of the Contrada Imperiale della Giraffa is located in the rooms beneath the basilica of Santa Maria in Provenzano. The contrada's seat is documented from 1686, when the Giraffa offered a palio to the Congregazione del Suffragio in return for permission to meet in its church; in 1824 the contrada settled permanently in the church of the Suffragio, which is still in use as an oratory. Later it obtained from the Opera di Provenzano some spaces beneath the basilica's vaults, where the historic museum seat was created between 1935 and 1961.

The museum grew over time to preserve the palii won, mementos and documents of the contrada's history. The route includes the oratory dedicated to the Visitation of Mary and the Sala delle Vittorie, renovated in 2007. Among the palii stands out the triptych that recalls the Giraffa's titles of Royal, Imperial and Republican, with one palio for each of the three eras. Also on display are drappelloni painted by Guttuso (1971), Vespignani (1983) and Tommasi Ferroni (1986).

A curiosity is the drappellone of 1967, taken as a prank by some students and returned only after the Palio had ended: the Giraffa had to complete the victory lap holding only the preparatory sketch.

Highlights

Triptych of palii for the Royal, Imperial and Republican titles
Drappelloni by Guttuso (1971), Vespignani (1983) and Tommasi Ferroni (1986)
The “stolen” drappellone of 1967 and its preparatory sketch
Oratory of the Visitation, formerly of the Compagnia del Suffragio

Operated by: Contrada Imperiale della Giraffa