The history of La Prodaia closely intertwined with those of the adjacent Monastery of St. Eugene Abbot and of the nearby town of Siena.
Established in the 8th century by the longobard feudal lord Warnafride, it was bought by a noble Sienese family in the 19th century and eventually sold after a few decades to the monastic order of the "Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincenzo De Paoli", in whose possession it is still nowadays.
Meanwhile, the city-state of Siena assumed a specific administrative structure centred on the division of the town in districts called “Contrade”, which also fulfilled very important social, religious and military functions.
The same fate was shared by the area surrounding the Monastery, where all the territories stretching from the abbey to Siena`s walls were united in a Contrada named “La Quercia” (The Oak) that – until its suppression determined by the new territorial delimitations stated in 1730 – formed the only Contrada officially occupying an area external to the town walls.
The origins of La Prodaia stem from the influence of the adjacent Monastery.
Established in the 8th century by the longobard feudal lord Warnafride, it was bought by a noble Sienese family in the 19th century and eventually sold after a few decades to the monastic order of the "Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincenzo De Paoli", in whose possession it is still nowadays.
Meanwhile, the city-state of Siena assumed a specific administrative structure centred on the division of the town in districts called “Contrade”, which also fulfilled very important social, religious and military functions.
The same fate was shared by the area surrounding the Monastery, where all the territories stretching from the abbey to Siena`s walls were united in a Contrada named “La Quercia” (The Oak) that – until its suppression determined by the new territorial delimitations stated in 1730 – formed the only Contrada officially occupying an area external to the town walls.
The origins of La Prodaia stem from the influence of the adjacent Monastery.
The original core of the main building, dating from the 16th century, was founded by the families of the peasants taking care of the part of the Monastery’s land stretching immediately from outside the south wall of the abbey.
The very name “La Prodaia” derives from the old Italian “proda” (border, edge), as the fields belonging to this house were located along the edge of a road that constituted one of the borders of the Monastery’s possessions.
Though there is no evidence that the original building was constructed by our ancestors, it is documented that our family has been living at La Prodaia for the last 500 years.
SIENA AND THE PALIO
The history of Siena, of its Contrade and of the renowned Palio is so rich that it would be impossible to summarize it in few lines. However, it is important to know that the feast of the Palio is far more than an old, uninterrupted tradition, still enjoying full vitality even today and playing an absolutely central role in the life of the town. Visiting Siena during the Palio is therefore a unique emotion, which constitutes for everybody an unforgettable experience.
For a quick introduction to the Palio, visit the website of the Municipality of Siena. :
http://palio.comune.siena.it
The history of Siena, of its Contrade and of the renowned Palio is so rich that it would be impossible to summarize it in few lines. However, it is important to know that the feast of the Palio is far more than an old, uninterrupted tradition, still enjoying full vitality even today and playing an absolutely central role in the life of the town. Visiting Siena during the Palio is therefore a unique emotion, which constitutes for everybody an unforgettable experience. For a quick introduction to the Palio, visit the website of the Municipality of Siena. :
http://palio.comune.siena.it
LAST MINUTE AND NEWS: BOOK ON LINE