Siena Palio

Festival Location: Siena, Italy

Festival Type(s): Equestrian Events , Bizarre Sports Events , Traditional Festivals

Festival Photos of Siena Palio: gallery 1

Festival Video: Siena Palio

Siena Palio

by © Joanne Lane 2008

Every time I go to Siena's Piazza del Campo square I get harassed by a local Italian stallion. If they were young and attractive I could forgive them. But they are always middle aged and come to think of it, their pick up lines are never that good.

But this time I thought it would be different. It was Palio, the biggest event in a Sienese year. When the local contrada's (districts) take to the track with their finest horses and race for a coveted silk banner. When horses become Gods, passions are high and the square fills with the excitement of a race for glory.

So I thought I would be safe amongst the hordes of tourists, cameras, sweating horses, exuberant contrada members and flag bearers.

Think again. The same balding 40 something man found me out all day as he worked the crowd for unsuspecting female tourists. I was rude to him even by my standards, but to give him some credit he never gave up.

I went to Siena four days before Palio. I wanted to feel the turf beneath my fingers, smell the horses in the Torre Mangia where they are kept before the race and breathe in the atmosphere of this medieval town bedecked with flags and banners of the different contradas.

I immediately ran into the marching band of a red and yellow contrada. They had flag bearers, drummers and an ensemble of spectators following them. I latched on and decided this would be my contrada. There are 17 of these in Siena and most are named after animals, but I had no idea who this group was. But they were vocal and there were lots of them in red so I adopted them.

As we went along we attracted more people, were photographed, jostled, cheered and jeered. It was fun and excitement and I had no idea what was going on. Eventually we spilled into the famed Piazza del Campo.

This is where the races take place, three times around in less than two minutes in a flurry of dust, falling jockeys and much excitement.

Six trials called Prove are held the three days before Palio to accustom the horse to the jockey, the track and the start and this was the second of these.

As each contrada group burst into the square with their horse leading they began singing at the top of their lungs, with emphatic hand gestures and passion engulfing their faces and movements.

I found a vantage point and watched as the square filled and the trials were held. As soon as it was over the crowd swept out again in a mass of cheering and shouting. No one seemed to care who won. After all this was just the trial.

The day of Palio is different. I arrived to watch the final Prove, a relaxed affair with most horses trotting around to give their legs a stretch.

Afterwards there was an official church service to bless the Palio, as the race was traditionally held to honor the Virgin Mary. They spoke of this tradition and how it should be upheld, with much sprinkling of incense and ceremony between.

Most people seemed more interested when the Palio banner itself entered the church after the service. For that there were hearty cheers.

When we emerged from the church the streets had become packed with tourists and contrada groups in medieval costume preparing, or rather sweltering, in their heavy tights, leather, chain mail suits for the historical parade that winds through the streets and finally bursts into the Campo square hours later.

Here flag bearers delighted the crowd with spinning stunts, the jockeys and their horses entered to waves of excitement, even the sweepers who cleared the course were cheered. Everyone had a role.

When the jockeys themselves finally emerged on horseback the tension increased as they tried to line up for the start - thousands of people stood shoulder to shoulder with intermingling sweat without uttering a sound. Only broken when an inconsiderate couple hoisted the girl on his shoulders and people screamed at them that they couldn't see. Tempers flared, threats were lashed and the girl got down and silence resumed.

Everyone strained to see the start. It was powerful, scary and moving.

The horses felt the tension and the start was called off twice as they tried to steady on the line. The paramedics put on their glove, the police held back the crowd, cameras poised ready until finally they were off, three whirling laps of flying hoofs, jockeys and deafening crowd noises.

A jockey came off, there was blood, the rider less horse surged and cleared the line first - in Palio still a victory, and the most special kind.

The crowd jumped the barriers and ran into the track. People screamed, cried, sobbed into each others shoulders, danced. It was pandemonium and violent. No one knew where to go or what to do. They were just running for the sake of running. Some people did not know who won. My contrada was a sobbing mess of despair.

Suddenly a horse emerged from the crowd in green, orange and white. Banners were raised and they swept off to the Palio church, entering in full regala, waving their banners, singing and shouting their victory inside the church. Everyone poured in after them.

The next stop was their own contrada museum and another round of the Campo square. A mass of orange, green and white; hugging each other, full smiles, hoarse voices. The old and young unified in victory and tradition.

One old man refused to allow anyone pass him without swigging from a five litre jug of wine, trying to get everyone and in the end just spraying them all from the bottle.

It was clear the party would continue all night as would the replays of the race from bar and cafe televisions where crowds of people were clustered to witness the excitement again.

So I left as I had come, through the cheering masses, in a frenzy to make the last train out of Siena. Even the station was full of banners and nerves; no longer for the Palio but to make that last train. The station conductors themselves were jovial, blowing whistles at us to get us running and pile on but always holding the train up a good 20 minutes for late comers.

Moments later we were swept away, people lapsed into silence and post party blues began. Siena soon a distant memory.

But the great thing about the Palio is it's held twice a year. So if you missed the July excitement you can go on August 16. It is not to be missed.

MORE ABOUT SIENA

Siena, still surrounded by its ancient ramparts, is one of Italy's best preserved medieval towns. It was founded by the sons of Remus (a founder of Rome) and was a military colony of Caesar's called Sena Julia. When the Roman empire fell Tuscany was invaded by barbarians and it was not until the 9th century that towns began to rebuild. As each tried to establish independence squabbles ensued. But there was trade with Europe and culture and religion revived and fed into the Italian Renaissance.

The peaceful atmosphere of modern Siena is deceptive. It actually has a warlike history. In the Middle Ages rich nobles built tall defence towers, fought in the streets and divided the city into armed camps. The cities favourite sport (before the Palio), was a 300-a-side fist fight in the Campo. Tempers sometimes flared and then axes and crossbows were brought out. Its status as a self governing republic brought it into rivalry with Florence. In one incident the Florentines hurled dead donkeys and excrement into Siena hoping to start a plague.

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN SIENA

Climb the 505 steps of the Torre del Mangia in the Piazza del Campo for the view from the top. Here it is possible to see over the rooftops of the town with its medieval ensemble of palaces, towers and a Gothic historic centre coloured in the same honey-dripped, brown brick known as burnt siena. The Siena Duomo with its black and white striped marble facade took over 200 years to build and thus presents different styles from Romanesque to Gothic.

WHEN TO GO FOR PALIO

If you intend to go to Siena for Palio the events start four days before the final race day (July 2, August 16). Six trials are held, marching bands and flag bearers walk the streets beating drums and there is a banquet the night before the race. On the morning of Palio the horses are blessed in the Contrada churches and a historical parade is held through the streets and the Campo. The race starts about 7.30pm.

WHEN TO GO

June-August is very busy. For less crowds visit between March-April or September-October.

WHERE TO STAY

Finding accommodation during Palio can be difficult unless you book ahead. It may be better to stay in nearby towns. Certaldo is a direct run by train from Siena and Fattoria Bassetto, a family run hostel and private room accommodation centre there in a former Benedictine Monastery is a real find. See www.fattoriabassetto.com for more details.

Check out loads of Joanne's wonderful work at her website, www.VisitedPlanet.com.

by Joanne Lane

Festival Photos of Siena Palio: gallery 1

Siena Palio Dates and Location

Siena in Italy's Tuscany Region hosts the annual Palio.

Accommodation

Hotels in Siena, Italy

Siena Palio Video

The Siena Palio run each July 2nd and August 16th amidst a flurry of medieval pagentary in the ancient Piazza del Campo, Siena is a spectacle not to be missed.