THE NEXT DAY, WHICH is the exact time I’m supposed to rendezvous with Dario at a bar just up the street. I scramble out of bed and into whatever clothes are closest at hand, and zoom out the door. Bar Macario is a favorite hangout for the Caterpillar, despite being officially in the Giraffe district—an anomaly made considerably odder by the fact that until recently, the Caterpillar and the Giraffe were bitter antagonists. (Even now many brucaioli call the Giraffe “the invisible enemy.”) Most of the contrade have rivals, with enmity going back centuries. This can erupt into violence, especially at Palio time, but the mayhem seems almost to have a social function. There’s no gang activity within Siena’s ancient walls, no juvenile delinquency, nary a trace of hoodlumism or vandalism; why would there be, when all the aggression and acting out that drives such activities are already accorded a fixed place in the culture? In that way, the contrade system comes with its own built-in safety valve.
What do You think about Seven Seasons In Siena (2011)?
