All around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of medieval Siena you see these wonderful iron horse tethers fixed into the walls of buildings at about 6′ high. There are 17 different designs across the city each advertising which ‘ward’ or ‘contrada’ they represent. People are deeply loyal to their own contrada and life still revolves around these areas, culminating in a chaotic horse race in the central palazzo every year and a huge feast.

Traditionally the residents of each contrada specialised in a trade: wool combers, tailors, weavers, sculptors, bakers. Each contrada is named after a creatures or natural phenomena, though not linked to the trade of its residents: eagle, she-wolf, caterpillar, owl, dragon, unicorn, porcupine, giraffe , forest, wave, tower, tortoise, goose, panther, snail, seashell, and this one representing Valdimontone, the Valley of the Ram.

I found these horse tethers and other decorative ironware fascinating. There is so much craftmanship and detail in them and have clearly been treasured. They ooze centuries of community participation, spirit and pride.