Gianfranco's Treasure: an evening in his honour

A generous gesture by the family of Gianfranco Campanini, who donated to the Historical Archive of the Contrada del Drago a large part of the documents, books and photos that Gianfranco had gathered and collected over his lifetime.

On 8 May, in the Galleria dei Costumi, in the presence of many Dragaioli and friends, the Contrada remembered Gianfranco, who died on 22 April last year at the age of 84, with an evening dedicated to him. For the occasion, a Quaderno of “I Malavolti” and a film by Massimo Biliorsi and Riccardo Domenichini were presented.

Tributes to Gianfranco were given by Laura Bonelli, Carlo Rossi, Laura Vigni (former director of the Historical Archive of the Comune di Siena) and Francesco Tiravelli, of the Bruco, himself a keen visitor to the city's historical archives, who shared a moving memory of him, recalling also the funny sides of his friendship with Gianfranco.

The material donated to the Contrada is truly impressive: photographs, vintage postcards, diaries full of notes, books and copies of documents from the Historical Archive of the Comune di Siena, the State Archive and the Biblioteca degli Intronati, places that Gianfranco visited assiduously in search of news, curiosities, documents and anything that could help reconstruct stories and anecdotes, chronicles and events of the Palio, of the Contrade and jockeys, of the Contrada del Drago and its territory.

The family donated to the archives of the other 16 Contrade the hundreds of photographs collected by Gianfranco, a much appreciated gift. The Contrada del Drago renews its heartfelt thanks to his wife Emiliana, to Simone and Chiara and to his beloved granddaughter Anita for this precious gift, which enriches the documents and images of the Drago's Historical Archive and will be looked after by the archivists of the Contrada. The catalogue of the Campanini donation, updated over time, can be consulted by scanning with your smartphone the QR code that appears in the publication and in the May issue of I Malavolti.