One of Siena’s traditions
The Tabernacles
The city of Siena is very closely linked to Our Lady’s cult: looking up while strolling in streets of the center will allow you to discover many tabernacles. Simply called Madonnine or Madonnelle, these can be bas-reliefs in stucco or frescoes, made between 1200 and 1900 and, in some cases, by great artists. They can be found in the main streets but also in the secondary alleys where the candles lit in honor of the Madonna contributed to illuminate the darker and less secure corners, becoming a visual reference point for passers-by. Today there are about sixty tabernacles in Siena: the most prevalent subject is the Madonna and Child but, rarely, it’s also possible to find San Bernardino from Siena, Santa Caterina, San Martino, San Galgano and the Crucifixion.
The Festival of September 8th
Every year, on the occasion of the Nativity of Our Lady, on September 8, the tabernacles return to life, illuminating every corner of the city and attracting the devotion of the people os Siena in a day dedicated to them. This celebration, also called the Festival of Our Lady, is organized by the Magistrate of the Contradas and the Comitattee of the Friends of the Palio, with the help of the Municipality and the Province of Siena. The Festival of the Tabernacles brings together adults and children, and is rooted in the ancient and still vivid sense of belonging to the Contradas. In fact, each of the 17 Contradas in the city must strive to decorate one of its tabernacles: the preparation is a real team game, a festival in the festival. It is the task of the children, a few days before, to collect the offers of the people of the districs that will be used to purchase all the necessary materials for the decoration. They are also, coordinated by adults, in charge of creating garlands and paper flowers that are used in the afternoon of September 8th, together with the lights and drawings, to adorn the chosen tabernacle, making it beautiful, rich and inspired by the sense of religious devotion. In the evening, from 19 to 23, a Judicial Commission evaluates the best. But the Festival of the Tabernacles is also fun and conviviality: every Contrada, in fact, organizes an open air dinner, to which all the people of the Contrada and the winners of the last Palio take part in the historic center.
The best way to experience the Festival of the Tabernacles
Visiting Siena during the Festival of the Tabernacles is an occasion that allows you to experience the whole spirit of Siena with the cheerful but ruthless competition between the Contradas and is for sure, along with the Palio, the best time for a little dive in the past. A good idea to stay in Siena can be choosing to stay in a structure from which it is easy to reach the center, such as our Hotel Italia just outside the City walls, or with few minutes by car, such as Hotel Garden or Villa Agostoli, which combine the tranquility of an accommodation in the beautiful countryside of Siena with the convenience of the proximity of the historic center: the ideal solution, in short, to be able to dive into the liveliness of the festival and then return to quiet and relaxation. Children’s songs, games, parades and cheerfulness will stay in your heart and will help you end your summer with a last sweet memory.