Siena FC

Siena FC SSD was formed in 1904, when the club was founded in Siena as Società Studio e Divertimento (“Society for Study and Entertainment”) by a group that broke away from an existing sporting club. Eventually, they would evolve into Associazione Calcio Siena (“Siena Football Association”).

Siena is a relatively small city but with a very long history. Their football team, perhaps initially stifled by its smaller recruitment pool compared to its larger rivals, spent much of its history in the lower divisions. However, they undertook a remarkable rise during the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning the Serie B title in 2002–03 and earning promotion to Serie A for the first time. They spent nine seasons competing against the giants of Italian football, clubs like Juventus F.C., A.C. Milan and Inter Milan.

However, trying to keep up with them was difficult, and financial problems and bankruptcy hit the club multiple times, leading to rebirths under new ownership. Today, Siena still retains passionate local support but currently plays in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football.

A team like Siena, then, reflects its city in more ways than one, because the city too had an incredible past and achieved amazing things, especially during the early Renaissance period. Siena, at its peak, was the rival of Florence — its northern neighbour — in terms of wealth and Renaissance splendour.

The club’s black-and-white colours come directly from Siena’s medieval coat of arms and flag, but it is their wolf-and-child icon that requires deeper investigation. Of course, anyone who knows anything about the Romans (or Italian football) will instantly recognise it as the symbol of Romulus and Remus — the mythical founders of Rome. It is most famous these days for being the badge of AS Roma. We all know the story — the two brothers were left in a basket at birth and raised by a wolf.

But what, then, is this symbol doing on the football team of a city nearly 250km away?

Well, there is a very strong connection: Siena’s own founding myth claims the city was established by Senius and Aschius, sons of Remus and nephews of Romulus, who fled Rome after Remus was killed. According to the legend, they carried with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus (pictured), which later became one of Siena’s enduring symbols. The story also claims they arrived on black-and-white horses, supposedly inspiring Siena’s famous black-and-white coat of arms, known as the Balzana.

The city was a Roman military outpost for a long while, sitting as it does on the strategically important Via Francigena — the pilgrimage route that ran from Canterbury in England, through France and then down into Italy and finally to Rome. It stretches 3000km in total and, even today, is promoted by the EU as a fantastic walking route for those who really want to get to know Europe (I can only hope that, by the time I retire, I still have the stamina — and funds — for such an adventure!).

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy initially fell mostly under Church control but then fragmented into various states as local lords, merchants and bankers campaigned for more of a say in affairs — and Siena became such a state. In the 12th century, the Republic of Siena was founded.

Siena, blessed with its strategic location and surrounded by fertile lands, quickly became a centre for wheat, salt, wool and wine. This, in turn, led to the emergence of money lenders who could provide capital to those wanting to cash in on this flourishing trade. One such group formed the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which is still going today and is the world’s oldest bank still headquartered in its beautiful building in Siena.

Money flowed in and, with it, the ability of locals to offer patronage to the city and the arts. The stunning Siena Cathedral was built in the 12th century (and shares a black-and-white colour palette) and was worked on by some of the great Renaissance architects and artists, including Donatello. Meanwhile, the city centre became dominated by Piazza del Campo — one of the greatest town squares anywhere in Europe. It has hosted the biannual Palio di Siena horse race around the edge of the square since the 17th century. The event today is more of a festival, with parades and officials in full medieval dress, making it an incredible spectacle.

The city would host numerous Renaissance artists and its most famous remaining work sits inside the town hall — entitled The Allegory of Good and Bad Government. The frescoes adorn the walls of the room where local officials would make their decisions. It was intended as a constant reminder of their responsibilities and the consequences of their decisions — a fantastic tribute to the ongoing humanist movement that spurred the Renaissance, and a reminder that it was human decisions that affected human affairs.

So there we have it: Siena FC SSD. While they may today sit in the fourth tier, they are a perfect package of culture, tradition and commerce, deeply rooted in both the Roman and Renaissance past of Italy. You could hardly find a more perfect package of Italianness.

I am sure their football team will rise once again. You can bank on it.

Enjoyed discovering the history behind this badge? This story also appears in Wolsey Academy's Renaissance History curriculum, where students explore the people, places, ideas and events that shaped the Renaissance through enquiry-based lessons, projects and historical investigations.

Teachers can browse the full collection at www.wolseyacademy.com/shop and receive 50% off any lesson bundle using the exclusive #GetTheBadgeIn code GTBI50.