Generally speaking, the most complex elements in works for the contrade have always been definition of the design and – and above all – accurate reproduction of the colours, which must be the precise hues which through the centuries have distinguished the single ‘quarters’ of the city. Above all in damasks, in which the colours – in this case highly contrasting – overlap to create colours different from the originals, it is necessary to take special care to obtain colours as sharp and solid as possible. In our case, we therefore had to conduct a number of trials before arriving at two final shades that perfectly matched the Tartuca’s historic yellow and blue colours.
Definition of the designs followed a long study and research path: taking our cue from several sketches by Rita Petti, drawn during production of the liveries for the opening pageant in 2000, a new version was developed following a stylistic approach qualified by embellishment of the costumes and full respect of the Tartuca’s heraldry.
On Friday, 9 June 2017, the Tartuca presented its ‘triptych’ – a single model was created for the page, one for the drummer and two for the standard-bearers – for use in official ceremonies.
The members of the Commission which made it possible to define the new official liveries while awaiting production of the new liveries for the ‘Giro’ in the city were: Waldemaro Baglioni, Luca Bocci, Gabriele Capacci, Nadia Sampieri, Franco Vaselli, Niccolò Montarsi, Giuseppe Mazzoni and Carlo Venturi.
photocredit: Anna Martini, Marco Amatruda, Giovanni Gigli, Lorenzo Gigli e Dario Di Prisco
The first four liveries, presented on 9 June 2017, were stitched by the tireless women of the contrada with the support and under the guidance of an expert Sienese seamstress, while the remaining 120 liveries which go to enrich the store of costumes for the ‘Giro’ are now being sewn at the prestigious Atelier Pietro Longhi.
‘In the meantime, we have embarked on the second stage of this challenging path, which involves creation of the sketches for the new liveries for the ‘Giro’ which, in addition to the requisites mentioned earlier (elegance and consistency), also have precise and sustainable budget margins.’
Il lavoro sartoriale dell'Atelier veneziano, ad opera delle mani esperte di Francesco Briggi, si è concretizzato in un arco di tempo relativamente breve se si considera il numero di monture (120) da confezionare tra marzo e maggio del 2018. Le nuove monture del Giro hanno infatti già sfilato durante il Palio in onore della Madonna di Provenzano del 2 Luglio e nuovamente saranno visibili durante il Palio dell'Assunta del 16 Agosto, 2018.
Forme per confezionare i "goliardi" dei tamburini
Copricapo finale
As a whole, the project required 155 metres of ‘Tartuca’ damask of which 95 metres woven in blue on yellow and 60 metres in yellow on yellow, and 210 metres of velvet, of which 200 metres in blue and 10 metres in yellow.
Also being sewn by the historic Bandieraie di Contrada, are the new banners that will accompany the new liveries: for creating them, 116 metres of silk taffeta were required: 66 metres in blue and 50 metres in yellow.
Un fruscio latente infrange la quiete
strusciante, danzante con armonia,
balza graffiante nel giugno che miete
un fragore, di rinnovata allegria
per quel volteggio donato alle sete
che sfioran, bramose di melodia,
le trame, sapientemente intrecciate,
broccati eleganti su per la via.
Velluti amati dal Santo Patrono
vestono a nuovo d'azzurro e dell'oro
I cuori di un Popolo grato del dono
di vivere oggi l'antico decoro;
pregiati tessuti... or sanno di buono,
ricchezza propria di un grande tesoro
