Palio di Siena
Siena - Piazza del Campo, July 2 to August 16
Among the most important entertainments in Siena we can here remember the Corsa del Palio, ruling on every year at the Piazza del Campo on 2nd July and on 16th August. The “Corsa del Palio” (the Horses Race of Palio) represents the most important event in the city during the whole year. The “Palio” has its origin in the far past, a sort of tournement with the horses representing the 17 quarters which is now divided the city in. Each quarter, each “Contrada” is a small state chiefed by a “Priore” and during the race by a “Chaptain”: it has its own colours, heraldic symbols, costumes, oratory, coats of arms, official representatives, a church and a Patron Saint, an accounting balance. All the inhabitants participate to the feast: everyone, proud and bold of the quarter where he lives, prepares himself all over the year: for example at the organization of banquets to finance the Palio and more else. In the preceeding days there are the assignements of the horses to the quarters, the tests for the competition, the animals’ Blessing in the Cathedral. The day of the event there is first a sumptuous parade in medieval costumes with the different colours and heraldic symbols of the quarters, accompanied by flag bearers with the rhythmic rolling of drums, so typical of Siena. After an year of waiting, in a sort of long liturgical procedure, the race happens all in a sudden, all around the Piazza del Campo, a sort of medieval Roman amphitheatre, where horses and jockeys wildly fight one another during 3 turns of the square, after alliances and rivalries. The winner receives the “Palio”, a sort of silk banner hand painted by a well known artist. The feasting goes on for days, with songs and dances in the streets of the city, with the “Victory dinner” where of course there participates the very victorious horse together with its jockey.
