All Senese (no “i”) bambini are naturally baptized in the church but then they are also baptized in their respective contrada!
A bunch of us from the school took a tour of the town the other evening and we passed by several of the contrade fountains used for these baptisms; the eagle, panther, and tortoise. The baby is baptized based under the contrada in which their house is located, not based on the contrada of their parents. As such, the mother, father, and any / all of the children could be of different contrade.
It reminds me of the license plate covers I see in North Carolina “A house divided” when there are graduates / supporters of different ACC universities within the same home.
Unfortunately (!!) it was yet another sunny day so the tortoise is a bit hard to see!
Happy to hear you are delving into the cultura and gaining exposure to the fauna. I particularly enjoyed the picture of the flag thrower! It definitely sounds like you are living the experience of a lifetime! Divertite amiga.