Siena and the Palio

Lara Piccioli continues her blog series about the best of what Italy has to offer, with an overview of one of the country’s most magnificent spectacles: The Palio, Siena’s exhilarating horserace.  

One of my favourite events in the Italian summer calendar is, without a doubt, the Palio di Siena. Words cannot quite describe the atmosphere and the emotion surrounding the event (but I will try my best!). I will give you a little introduction into the city of Siena, to give some context and then I will tell you about the event itself – an unforgettable, ‘World-Class’ experience.

Siena is an elegant, medieval city in central Italy, beautifully situated in the lush green countryside of the Tuscan hills. The city was once an important commercial centre but over time it was surpassed by its rival neighbouring city, Florence. The Ghibelline Siena grew in power after about the year 1000AD thanks to its position along the Via Francigena (the pilgrim route used by many religious travellers heading towards Rome). It was originally an Etruscan settlement and later became a Roman city and is still enclosed within its medieval walls, which protected it through the years from Florentine assaults.

The city is charming to visit any time of the year, but if you are lucky enough to be there during the famous horserace, Il Palio di Siena, it is particularly special. The Palio, is held on the 2nd of July (see our Siena and the Palio tour) and on the 16th of August, and only lasts a couple of minutes. Just three laps around the remarkable, shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, set up for the occasion with sand, clay and turf to ease the race for the horses.

Just a few minutes, but for a Sienese it is a lifetime. For them this is not a tourist attraction, it is the soul of the Sienese people. Love, hate, rivalry, lies, patience, passion are some of the emotions that embrace the event, which has been held since 1644, except during the two World Wars.

Siena is divided into seventeen contrade, each one is independent, with its own church, museum, governor and Capitano. For the Palio, ten contrade are entitled to take part in the race. To guarantee a fair rotation, the seven contrade that didn’t take part in the race the year before are entitled to run, the other three are selected by lot. In the three days leading up to the event, a selection of horses is chosen, and the training trials (la tratta) take place. There are six trails in total, in which the condition of the jockeys and the horses are checked. Finally one horse per contrade is selected.

The Sienese locals are very proud of their city’s tradition and not overly keen on intruding strangers. It is a real honour to take part in the dinner in the contrada the day before the race; it’s a magical feeling, hundreds of people eating along the historical narrow streets of Siena, in a properly set table, in the Italian style! People sing, eat, drink, and all the most important people of the contrada will be in attendance, including the priore (director) and the jockey. It is the night when the secret agreements, with the allied contrade are made, to win the Palio, and to eliminate their rivals.

On the day of the race the horses are blessed in the early afternoon. This takes place in the church of its contrada, where you can watch, but in absolute silence. At the end of the ceremony the priest blesses the horse saying the phrase: ‘Va e torna vincitore!’ , the translation of which is: ‘Go and come back a winner!’. It is a blessing but also an order!

All of the horses then take part in the parade in the town centre with a show of colours, flags and skilled flag-waving. After this historical parade, everyone converges into the square and the banner ‘il drappellone’ is lifted towards the judges’ stand. By late evening the race is ready to start.

As it begins the atmosphere is electric, the roars of the crowd grow and grow until we have a winner across the finishing line, when there is a volcanic eruption of cheers from the winning contrade. The winners rightfully and proudly celebrate through the night and their neighbouring contrade, tourists, onlookers and locals celebrate along with them! It is always a wonderful end to great couple of days.

ATG’s Siena and the Palio tour (27 June – 4 July) provides a fascinating ‘immersion experience’ of this spectacular event, with a week of language, culture, walking and sightseeing – to gain a privileged, unique insight.

A feature film documenting the ‘Palio’ is due to be released in the UK on Saturday, 26th of September 2015.  For more details see our Palio Film Released Article.