Museo della Contrada della Pantera

Museum of the Siena contrada della Pantera in Via San Quirico: palii, costumes, sacred vestments and the small room dedicated to baritone and captain Ettore Bastianini.

Opening hoursFree admission

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About the museum

The museum of the Contrada della Pantera, also called the “Stanze della Contrada” (Rooms of the Contrada), is in Via San Quirico, on the highest hill of the city. In 1957 the contrada bought a warehouse with a small garden to move its seat there. The first rooms opened on 21 September 1958, and in the following years the spaces extended to the first floor, where the Società Due Porte was founded in 1962. The premises were renovated and enlarged, with works completed in 2001.

The former hall of the Società was converted into an exhibition space in 2014, designed by the architects Pietro Giannini and Nicola Marmugi. The museum illustrates the contrada's history and preserves its heritage: on the ground floor, nine drappelloni won in the 20th century, works, furnishings and sacred vestments; on the upper floor, costumes and masgalani. In addition, there are the drappelloni won before the 19th century, two important wooden altars and archive documents from 1684.

Among the vestments are a damask chasuble, probably of Venetian production from the early 18th century, and a pink taffeta cope. In an underground room are displayed the sacred ensembles commissioned by the contrada between the 18th and 19th centuries. One small room is dedicated to Ettore Bastianini (1922–1967), a great baritone and victorious captain, with memorabilia, photographs, letters and some original stage costumes.

Highlights

Nine drappelloni won in the 20th century
Historic costumes and masgalani
Bastianini room with original stage costumes of the baritone
18th-century sacred vestments, including a damask chasuble
Reliquary of Saint John of 1731, used for the blessing of the horse

Operated by: Contrada della Pantera