Il Palio di Siena | Purchase tickets to see Siena's Historical Horse Race and Costumed Pageant - In Italy Online Browse unique lodgings, hand-picked for you by In Italy Online Il Bruco's Alfiere After the tratta, all life in Siena is focused on the race. Six trial races are held so that the jockeys (race track professionals who receive astronomical sums from the contrade) can get to know their mounts. Locals say the fifth trial is the most dangerous day of all, because spectators can no longer control their emotions. This harrowing day is followed by a "dress rehearsal" dinner, where all the contrada members can practice the celebration they hope to repeat the following night. Sheila and I were amazed to discover the sumptuous banquet to which we had been invited was nothing more than a "rehearsal." We spent the evening listening to complicated analyses of equine withers, the going prices for bribes, the duplicity of jockeys and the way in which all of these elements would combine to end Il Bruco's dry spell the next day. We too were included in the mix as unexpected good luck charms.

It was long after midnight by the time our friends took us to the usual contrada state line. Before kissing us good night, they invited us to meet them at 2:30 p.m. the next day at the church of the Visitation of Mary. As we walked the rest of the way to our hotel we were invited to toast the good fortunes of both the Dragon and the Giraffe. We graciously accepted, but part of us felt bad. We knew the brucaioli would have called us "as unfaithful as jockeys." The next day we slept late, and we had alot of trouble concentrating on the sights we diligently tried to see. We lingered a while in the Piazza, watching the workers spread the layer of golden dirt that would become the race track. But neither of us could wait for 2:30, so we arrived at the church a few minutes early and found a large crowd milling in front of the minuscule façade. We eagerly greeted our friends of the night before. They were polite, but strangely subdued, so it was a relief when Mario rushed up, grabbed us both by the elbow and pushed us into the church. It was barely bigger than a basketball court.

The pews had been removed, and what seemed like hundreds of people were crushed into the nave, leaving only a narrow aisle down the middle into which Mario shoved Sheila and me. Now I realized why the people outside had been cool: we two perfect strangers had been allowed to take up the last precious inches of space, probably because of our powers as good luck omens. We still had no idea why we were packed into the smallest church I had ever seen, but the mystery was revealed almost at once when we heard the sounds of hooves clip-clopping against the marble floors and looked up to see a magnificent bay strutting down the aisle. A resplendent priest had materialized at the altar and the crowd suddenly grew quiet. The horse snorted, the altar boys filled the air with clouds of incense, the prelate held a cross above the animal's head and intoned a few words in Latin, the onlookers recited a few verses, the priest said Vai e torna vincitore (Go and return a winner), and then it was over and we were pushed back out into the streets amid a feeling of mounting tension as harrowing as I've ever felt in my life.

Everyone rushed across town, ignoring the contrada border line now in their hurry to get to their accustomed section in the middle of the Piazza, as close as possible to the finish line. The roar of the crowd was unforgettable. Anxious faces were everywhere, except in the baby blue waters of the fountain (that would come later). Many of the thousands standing with us in the square wore scarves and hats with their contrada colors. Now and then a group of spectators would burst into a song you could tell was their neighborhood anthem. Friends would smile; foes would whistle and boo. At around 4:30 they sealed off the square and that was it: the only way you could get out of there before the race ended was on a stretcher (we saw three of them that day). There followed three hours of medieval pageantry.

It included delegations of carts and floats from nearby towns, the Sienese academicians, the trade corporations, a "charge" by a legion of mounted carabinieri officers, the well-rehearsed pages and drummers of the contrade, first those participating and then those not involved this time around, followed by the city authorities, the noble families and, our favorite, the war chariot, drawn by two enormous doe-eyed white bulls and bearing the Palio, the banner to be awarded for that particular race. Sheila and I called it Il Palio, but everyone standing near us referred to it as il cencio, the rag: probably a superstitious attempt to be blasé. I'm sorry to tell you this, but it's a waste of words to describe what happens once the steeds and jockeys arrive on the scene. Utter pandemonium breaks loose. Fans scream, banners wave, whistles blare and cannons are fired as time after time the officials try to line the horses up in the correct order.

You keep thinking the mossiere is about to raise his arm to signal the start, but then he nods imperceptibly, the air fills with tens of thousands of groans, and the horses all file out to begin again. You get so used to this rhythm that when the rope finally does fall, you are taken by surprise and have to refocus on the magnificent animals hurtling by at breakneck speed. You must look carefully, because they'll only be back this way once again. Alas, Sheila and I did not bring il Bruco the miracle it had been hoping for. That bay which had so impressed me in the church turned out to be a brenna (nag) and the jockey? Well, anyone could tell that the jockey was the scum of the earth. Our friends were alternately crestfallen, infuriated, speechless and full of invective, and some of them got into shouting matches with the winners as they hopped over the fences to get to the Judges Stands in time to see the Palio being lowered to their Captain. In the wink of an eye they were gone, following their rag to the cathedral to thank God for their victory.

We hung around and thought we'd never get the pitiful look off Mario's face, but at some point after darkness fell, his spirits did lift a bit. He took us by the arm and walked us back across the contrada line to enjoy yet another open-air banquet. When we first arrived the mood was gloomy, but by the time our new friends deposited us at our hotel, they were grinning and hopeful again, imploring us to come back the following year to see their certain victory. We embraced them and exchanged addresses, and as we climbed the stairs to our room Sheila and I decided perhaps their renewed faith was the miracle we had brought. Since then I have met many Sienese from more illustrious and wealthy contrade, but I will remain a Caterpillar until the day I die. And if I'm lucky, I'll live long enough to see them win Il Palio. Kristin Jarratt Since this story was written a few years ago, the Caterpillar has fulfilled my greatest dream: with the help of a horse called Bella Speranza (Beautiful Hope), Bruco won the Palio in August, 1996.

And then once the dry spell was broken, we seemed to have found our footing and we went on to win again in 2003. In 2005 I returned to see the July Palio. We had been lucky enough to draw one of the best horses, Berio, the lean bay with whom we'd won in 2003. We were also able to secure the services of "Trecciolino," the jockey who had ridden Berio on that glorious day. The evening before the race, 2100 people attended the rehearsal banquet, held as always in a leafy walled garden. The event was unusually subdued, with very few songs and even fewer speeches. It was as if the whole contrada wanted to make sure no evil spirits saw us or heard us or in any way were able to jinx our portentous good fortune. To make matters even worse, our beloved duo had easily won the final rehearsal that afternoon – something no contrada really wants to do, because there is an unspoken feeling that it's nigh onto impossible to win two days in a row. We left the banquet early, still holding onto our dreams of glory.

The next day we got to Siena about 3 pm and parked in our favorite structure (which will have to remain a secret, I'm afraid!). No matter how you approach the inner center of this perfectly medieval city, the first part is straight uphill. As we climbed the deserted street, we could hear voices in the distance – they grew stronger and stronger until we walked under a soaring arch, thus breeching the inner walls and entering Palioland, where the streets had been converted into veritable rivers upon which seemed to float a horde of semi-hysterical contradaioli as well as foreigners, emergency health care workers, imported carabinieri, local policemen, and souvenir hawkers. Every five minutes or so a contrada delegation would float upstream, announced by rolling drums. Each delegation consisted of: the drummer himself, several brightly costumed pages brandishing banners with the contrada's colors and emblem, at least two flag throwers, a large workhorse draped in the same colors and mounted by a costumed rider and, bringing up the rear, anywhere from 50 to 150 female contradaiole who periodically stopped to sing their contrada's special female anthem.

Over the next hour we saw most of the contrade that would be running today, which were Bruco (of course!), Onda, Torre, Chiocciola, Valdimontone, Civetta, Leocorno, Aquila, Lupo and Nicchio. At about 5:30 we decided to make our way to our seats, and we wound up in the midst of a throng of a few thousand people inching forward from behind the Town Hall (up a steep hill, naturally) and into the Campo. When we finally made it to the top we peeled off, showed our tickets to a Carabiniere and were escorted to the Casato di Sotto, which is in the southeastern corner, the first part of the Campo to receive the shade. Before going upstairs we paused to gape at Berio, who happened to walk right past so close that we could have reached out and stroked his lovely muzzle. The pageant began, right under our noses as our seats were at the very entrance to the Campo.

Each contrada's pages, flag throwers, drummers, captain, dray horse and race horse assembled directly below our terrace and then stepped out onto the dirt track to the cheers of their protectors and the other onlookers. Flags were thrown directly in front of us. First out were the ten contrada racing today – with Bruco finally bringing up the rear. Unlike all the other horses who had pranced elegantly out into the sunlight behind their stable hand, Berio literally burst into the open, bucking and rearing and charging so fearsomely that he had to be dragged off and hidden inside in disgrace. A terrible omen!!! The pageant continued for two more hours, during which entire time a steady stream of people were patiently filing into the Campo as a small squad of valiant men rang the huge bell on top of the tower far above our heads. By 7 pm, when it appeared that not even one more soul could fit inside the rails, we turned our eyes to the alley below our seats and watched while four exquisite white oxen were led out of a building and hitched up to the cart.

Then they trod into the Campo, their milk-white flanks rippling gently as they pulled the Palio into everyone's sight. In honor of John Paul II, it depicts a Pope and the Virgin as well as a horse on a black and silver field. Any of the contrade would have been doubly honored to possess a Palio dedicated to one of the most beloved men of our times. At this point the rails were closed and no one else was admitted to the Campo. By 7:45, the flag throwers had completed their final toss, the local street sweepers had tidied up the dirt track, anyone who felt sick in the infield had been loaded onto a stretcher and carried off – again right beneath our seats. It was now time to get those horses lined up, so they danced out of Town Hall, their appearance causing a massive roar to echo through the entire city as tens of thousands of spectators greeted them.

The two ropes had been stretched across the ring just about 100 yards from our seats; the horses circled around in front of them as the mossiere drew lots and called out the name of each contrada in the order it would file in: first and closest to the infield, the position most people consider to be favored, was Torre, followed by Valdimonone, Onda, Bruco (who had managed to draw the worst spot, right in the middle – another terrible omen!!), etc., etc. Last was Aquila, the contrada to whom our seats belonged. Anyone who doesn't consider the first spot to be the most advantageous thinks this is the best one. As the names were called and the jockeys led each horse between the lines, there was not one sound from the huge crowd. Hardly anyone even dared to take a breath! But Aquila, whose honor it is to start the race as the last horse in, simply refused to start the race. His elegant dappled horse stepped forward and backward along the line of ever-more agitated horses waiting for the signal to take off.

Lupo was facing backwards 90% of the time, Civetta kept moving out of place, eliciting loudspeakered reprimands from the mossiere, Torre and Onda pranced circles around Montone, and in the midst of this utter chaos, Berio, the firebrand who had had to be banished for his outlandish behavior, stood like a statue, never moving, staring forward at the track that he was simply dying to put behind him. Suddenly the horses took off! Unfortunately, Aquila STILL did not want to begin the race and so the cannon was fired, signaling a false start. Everyone re-assembled, the track was tidied up again, the ropes were restrung, and most of the jockeys dismounted, handing their charges back to the stable hands. But Trecciolino did not dismount. He stayed astride Berio, calmly walking him round and round in a circle so many times it was a wonder the animal didn't keel over from dizziness.

Finally it was time to line up again, and once again the same thing occurred: Lupo back-to-front, Torre and Onda squeezing Valdimontone, mossiere scolding Civetta, Aquila refusing to start the race, and then the rest of the horses took off without him and the cannon once again was fired. By this time the crowd was at wit's end, tempers were flaring, nerves were frayed, catcalls and whistles and boos were being hurled by everyone but the Aquilani, who of course completely approved of their jockey's inexplicable behavior. The horses, on the other hand, had now had a chance to get all of their pent-up energy out in two useless turns around the ring, and they stood between the ropes in perfect order, not moving one muscle, looking for all the world like a peaceful landscape painting. Even Lupo was facing forward. There was simply no excuse for it, and Aquila had no choice but to dash forward around the flanks of Nicchio, thus officially starting the race. A magnificent roar filled the air and they were off. What did our eyes see! Wonder of wonders, Berio was out in front!!

No, no, we thought, hold back and leave something for the end! But in a flash they were nearing San Martino for the first time and Lupo inched forward, neck and neck with us, on the verge of overtaking. Our hearts leapt to our throats until we saw Trecciolino bear just slightly to the left, nudging the poor Lupo horse just enough to push it off balance and send it crashing into the mattresses. Horse and rider were down. The former quickly jumped to its feet and joined its opponents, three of whom trampled the hapless jockey. We took note of all this, but only for a split-second, because then our eyes shifted back to the head of the pack, where glorious, courageous, invincible Berio tore along, completely unchallenged for the next two laps, until the final cannon exploded and yes, our horse had won. We had done it! Despite every bad omen ever known to a Senese, Berio and Trecciolino had led from start to finish in one of the most stirring races of recent memory. Within the blink of an eye, the entire Bruco contrada poured out of the Campo and the stands onto the track.

I won't say that I became a good luck charm for the contrada but let's just put it this way: I am always welcome to any Palio race for the rest of eternity! And I hope that you too will get to witness this unique event at least once in your lifetime. When you do, remember to root for Bruco. And do it as the brucaioli do: at the top of your lungs scream, "Bru-bru-bruho-o-o-o-o-o!" Palio di Siena, Siena 21 Insider Tips, Photos and Reviews La terra in piazza Two times a year, at the beginning of july and at mid august, Siena celebrates the Palio. Don't even think that the Palio is something arranged for tourists or a staged manifestation. People in Siena "live" the Palio. Everyone in Siena grows up with a sharp feeling of belonging to a "contrada" that is a city ward. There are 17 of them in Siena each with a fancy name and colours.

Siena is medieval, made of dark stones, dark itself in some ways, but in the days of the palio the city blossoms in colours, each street and each contrada with its own colours. The palio is a kind of horse race in one of the most beautiful square in the world. But it is not a simple race. It is a war. Every contrada runs only for itself firstly, but always casting an eye to the horse of the enemy contrada: better make the enemy loose than winning. War symbols are everywhere, starting from the "nerbo" the whip used to push the horse but also to hit the other riders. People get crazy for the palio: they cry or exult, hug themselves or quarrel, and it is not a show at all. If your contrada wins, you are happy for a year long. Go in the square, "Piazza del campo", and experiment the strike of adrenaline when the three minutes ride starts. Besides a war representation the palio is full of religious aspects, expecially rooted in the cult of the Madonna. The palio itself is a flag, created every time by a different artist, but it must always represent the mother of god.

After the victory the horse is led to the Cathedral for a thanks giving ceremony. Chance is the other great protagonist of the palio. The horses are assigned by drawing lots and so the places at the start. Three contrade out of ten run because they were drawed and the examples could go on. Everyone believes that the chance can be directed and the art of interpreting signs for reading into future is well practiced. And what about us, the tourist? Well, the inhabitants of Siena tolerate them even if they know, correctly, the tourists understand very little of what is happening. Siena people behave as though tourists were transparent, but nevertheless they can book a place for the dinner in contrada and so bring money. The Palio is unique in Italy, there is nothing similar, nothing so close to the spirit of medieval time and to sense of belonging to a small community. Last thing: the entrance in Piazza del campo is free but go there quite early or it will be very difficult to cut the tightly packed crowd. Not suitable for claustrophobic people!

If you want to know (much) more read the book “La terra in piazza” roberto.baglioni Il Palio On July 2 and August 16 Siena shuts down and as thousands croud into the plaza to watch the horses race. The riders have no tirups and the buildings on the edges of the track are stone so the danger as real as riders dress in the traditional colors representing their neighborhoods and take off. The acctual race days are the most crowded but the celebrations start a few days beforehand when banners begin to decorate the city and practice races and time trials are held. We went on June 30, 2 days before the race and thought it was great, the crowds were still big but not so huge as to fill the city, We stil felt comfortable, not crowed as we tourd the city int the morning. Know that you should get to the Plaza early, noonish if you want a good spot near the rail. THe bleachers are reserved for locals. MrRandMcnally The citizens of Siena proudly state that the most beautiful feast in the world takes place on their square, il Campo. The Palio races got their name after a kind of flag.

Their official name’s ‘Palio delle Contrade’. It’s a competition among the districts (contradas) of Siena. There are 17 contradas in Siena, and they were all formed in the 15th century. Each has got its administration, authorities chosen every 2 years, church, and museum where they keep all the tropheys won in the races through centuries. Contradas have also got their symbols, usually an animal. A panther, owl, snail, giraffe, goose, dragon or two-headed eagle are just some of these. Palio is held twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August. There are 10 contestants, almost never from Siena, who become everyone’s heroes. The race itself lasts for 1 minute and about 20 seconds, but it’s a true spectacle and the audience contributes as well.

viddra The most famous palio in Italy The Palio di Siena (known locally as the Palio delle Contrade), the most famous palio in Italy, is a horse race held twice each year on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, in which the horse and rider represent one of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards. A magnificent pageant precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world. Both horse and rider are dressed in the colours and arms of the Contrade: Aquila, Bruco, Chiocciola, Civetta, Drago, Giraffa, Istrice, Leocorno, Lupa, Nicchio, Oca, Onda, Pantera, Selva, Tartuca, Torre and Valdimontone. micajo Palio Siena's history is linked to the tradition of the Palio a great deal. Siena is made up of 17 'contrade' which are real independent cities within a city. The Senesi talk of their belonging to a certain 'contrada' first and then to the whole of Siena.

A lot of energy, great economic as well as organizational efforts are needed on the part of the Comune di Siena (town hall) and its 'contradaioli'. The Palio used to be originally performed with bulls and buffaloes, but later horse races took over. The final organization of the Palio as it appears today dates back to 1656. This event called Palio has widely been used as a show and it has become a business within which interests and diplomatic intrigues mingle at a latent and at a more overt level. According to tradition, there exist alliances between the poorer 'contrade' and secret agreements are made in order to hinder the opposing 'contrade'. A complicated system of rules and attributions still supports the unfolding of the Palio. On the last Sunday of May flags representing the participating 'contrade' are selected. Four days before the Palio the 'hot' phase starts with the local administration's list of the horses that have been admitted to the race and a group of 10 horses are selected. Each horse (barbero) is assigned to each jokey at random while this latter is chosen by the representative of the 'contrada'. Then the six races follow.

They take place in the morning and in the evening. The Palio takes place twice a year: on 2nd July it is dedicated to the 'Madonna del Provenzano', the city's patron saint, while the one on 16th August bears the name of 'Palio dell'Assunta'. On 2nd July forecasts are made as to the future holders of the 'cencio' (rag), a coloured silk cloth with the emblem of Siena. Mundus SIENA: WHAT IS THE PALIO? SIENA'S HORSE RACE IN A NUTSHELL WHAT IS THE PALIO? SIENA'S HORSE RACE IN A NUTSHELL The twelve must-knows for people wanting to impress fellow travelers with their thorough knowledge of the Palio di Siena, the world’s oldest continually hold sporting event. 1. WHAT IS THE PALIO? Italy's most famous horse race takes place twice a year on piazza del Campo, Siena’s shell shaped medieval square. 2. WHEN IS THE PALIO? Each year on the 2nd of July and the 16th of August.

The July race called Palio della Madonna di Provenzano starts at 7.30 pm, the Palio dell'Assunta in August at 7 pm. However, both races are proceeded by a pageantry procession, so prepare to access piazza del Campo three to four hours before the start of the race. The festival lasts for a total of four days each time, which are made up of trial races and neighborhood dinners. Piazza del Campo and Palazzo Pubblico during Palio 3. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE? Siena has 17 neighborhoods (contrade in Ialian), but only ten of them can participate in each race. The seven contrade which aren't running the July Palio in the current year are designated to participate in the July Palio the year after (the same system applies for the August Palio). To make up the total number of participating contrade, a month before each Palio three additional neighborhoods will be drawn out of the ten contrade which have run the race the year before. This means that of the two Palios each year, a contrada may be running both, one or - in unlucky cases - none at all. 4. WHAT IS A CONTRADA?

AND HOW MANY ARE THERE? A contrada is a neighborhood or tiny city district in Siena's historic town center. Each of the city's 17 contrade is made up of just a few roads, but has its own HQ with Palio museum, a stable for the horse and a church where mass and horse blessing take place on the day of the race. During the rest of the year the HQ is in constant use for meetings and neighborhood dinners. Most contrade also have a fountain where every new contrada member is 'baptized' and welcomed as a member of the neighborhood. This means that whilst everybody can be a fan of a contrada, you're only able to be a contrada member if you're born into it (see my interview with a member of the Lupa (she-wolf) contrada ). 5. THE NAMES AND SYMBOLS OF SIENA'S 17 CONTRADE Aquila - the Eagle Leocorno - the Unicorn Valdimontone or Montone - the Ram Most contrade are easily recognizable as the animal they're named after also appears on their flag and on the ceramic plates and statues in the neighborhood.

Not named after an animal, but still represented by one are three neighborhoods: Onda (wave), with the symbol of a dolphin, Selva (forest) represented by a rhino carrying a few trees and Torre (tower) by an elephant carrying a tower. Horses and jockeys in the colors of the Lupa, Onda and the Chiocciola neighborhood (from left to right) 6. SINCE WHEN HAS THE PALIO BEEN RUN IN SIENA? Siena’s bareback horse race is one of the oldest continuously happening festivals in the world. The tradition started with bull fights, horse races and other public games hold on piazza del Campo in the Middle Ages. The Palio horse race has taken place in its current form since the 17th century. Palio horse races are also run on a smaller scale in other Italian cities. However only in Siena has the race been continuously run since the Renaissance. 7. HOW LONG DOES THE RACE LAST? 365 days of the year which culminate in 1 minute and 15 seconds (the time needed for the three rounds on piazza del Campo) on the 2nd of July and the 16th of august. 8.

WHY IS THE RACE CALLED IL PALIO? Il Palio is the name of the painted silk cloth that the winning contrada will bring home (there is no price money involved in the race). The Palio cloth is also called drappellone or cencio in Siena, and each contrada proudly exhibits the won Palii at its museum. The oldest still existing Palio dates back to 1719 and can be seen at the museum of the Aquila neighborhood. The silk clothes are traditionally painted by local artisans, but in more recent decades also by internationally known artists. Contrada Tartuca's museum exhibits Palios painted by Sandro Chia, Fernando Botero and Igor Mitoray. 9. FANTINO / The jockey The fantino (jockey) is only chosen once the contrada knows which horse it will be running with (the horses are drawn on the first of the four Palio days in piazza del Campo). The jockey is payed by the contrada and at times agreements are taken between different contrade amiche (befriended neighborhoods) so as to help each other against a common enemy.

Jockey's deal and wheal until the last moment before the race starts and offer each other sums of money for the support in case of the defeat or victory of a particular neighborhood. 10. THE PALIO HORSES The horses are the most important players in the Palio race. Which is why horses are venerated like saints in Siena. A horse that looses its jockey during the race can nevertheless win as long as it still wears the colors of its contrada when arriving at the finishing line (this happened last time in 1996). The horses are bred especially for the Palio and are blessed in a special mass in each contrada on the day of the Palio. Accidents and animal rights: The sloping piazza del Campo and the heated nature of the race make it a dangerous event for horses and jockeys alike. Conditions have been massively improved over the last decades, e.g. thanks to better protection and special selection and training of suitable mixed breed horses. Nevertheless accidents keep happening. Italian animal right movements are constantly monitoring the conditions of the race and requesting further improvements. 11.

THE ANIMOSITIES BETWEEN THE CONTRADE Enemy contrade are in many cases adjacent neighborhoods and rivalry stems from century old quarrels in regard to exact territory of each contrada. At times alliances are installed between neighborhoods so as to improve each others chances to win a Palio, or to lessen the ones of an enemy contrada. Only Bruco, Giraffa and Selva don't have a rival contrada. Of the remaining 14 neighborhoods the enemies are: Oca and Onda vs Torre (Torre is the only contrada to have two enemies) Civetta vs Leocorno Aquila vs Pantera Ciocciola vs Tartuca The race is medieval at heart. Jockeys often work mercenary style for the best paying contrada and will change neighborhood from race to race. Whilst the jockey is meant to bring home the Palio, he is also supposed to prevent the enemy contrada from winning.

This can be well seen in the July 2013 video where the fantino of il Nicchio (wearing dark blue in the back) is supposed to start the race, but keeps biding time until his enemy from the Montone neighborhood (in the salmon colored outfit on the left) is blocked by other horses. Right at the beginning of the race you can also observe how the jockey of the Istrice neighborhood (in a stripy outfit) keeps hitting the jockey of its enemy contrada, la Lupa (wearing black and white colors). Palio di Provenzano, July 2013 12. HOW TO WATCH THE PALIO FOR FREE? Access to piazza del Campo is in fact free for everybody during trial runs and the two Palio races in July and August. The atmosphere in the square is amazing, but make sure you bring sunscreen and a hat (water can be bought on the square or bottles refilled at the Fonte Gaia fountain). Seated viewing on the wood tribunes and from the houses around the square is only available on payment (prices start from 250 Euro). Tickets have to be booked well in advance.

There is no official vendor for Palio tickets, so it makes sense to shop around. Also remember that there's no access to toilets from inside the square and from most tribunes. Kids are not allowed into the square (and the Sienese are happy to disregard this anytime). Before coming out check the schedule of the trial runs and main races to plan your stay. For in-depth Palio insight (and after 500 years of history there's a lot more to know!), check the website of ilPalio.org with films from the race all the way back to 1936, or watch two entertaining Palio documentaries in English by Guardian Travel and Wider World of Sports. Once back home, be sure to follow Siena's famous race each year live on TV or via streaming . And don't forget to open a bottle of Tuscan wine with it. Il Palio in Siena, Italy: Visiting the historic centre of Siena Michael Turtle | 19 Comments Palio di Siena horse race, Italy Standing here, you can imagine the thundering of hooves and the roaring of the spectators. The energy must be incredible, thousands of people crammed together in the centre of the square as the horses race around them.

Encircled and squashed, there would be nothing to do but shout with the crowd. Twice a year, here in Siena’s Piazza del Campo, one of the world’s most famous horses races takes over the city. The Palio di Siena is no ordinary race… but more on that shortly. Today, things are much more sedate. It’s a warm and sunny spring afternoon and the piazza is full of people sitting on the ground, catching some rays, eating a snack or talking with their friends. The shadow of the tower from the imposing Palazzo Pubblico casts a shadow over the ground and moves like a sundial. The people who end up in its darkness shuffle back into the light… the whole process continues slowly as the shadow marks the passage of the day. On the days of the Palio di Siena (or Il Palio as it’s generally known) there is no such calm. Nor is there room to sit on the ground. The outside of the piazza becomes a racetrack and is covered wit turf. The inside becomes the main spectator area and thousands of people are squeezed in and then locked into the area just before the race starts. Ten horses compete.

I say ‘horses’ rather than ‘jockeys’ because the rules clearly state it’s the first horse across the line that wins, regardless of whether the rider is still attached. The race is run bareback and, with some tough corners, the jockey doesn’t always make it to the end. It’s also a rough race where the riders are allowed to use their whips on the other competitors, so that doesn’t help their chances. One of the reasons Il Palio is so rough is tradition. The race was first run in 1656. In that day – and still to this day, as a matter of fact – it is a competition between the different districts of Siena. Much like any football league around the world, the crowd is often just as happy if their archrivals don’t win than if they do themselves. There are apparently even some dirty tactics that go on sometimes, with two or more districts secretly agreeing to gang up on another. Historic centre of Siena You wouldn’t know there was such a simmering hostility beneath the surface from walking around the city. The historic centre of Siena is as beautiful and charming as I’ve come to expect from the old cities of Tuscany.

For instance, the Duomo, with a similar Tuscan Gothic style as the one in Florence, is considered one of the finest in the whole country. The streets of the old city are full of pedestrians (most tourists) and mainly without cars in the historic parts. It’s one of those places that is a pleasure to walk around, to peek into the stores selling crafts, stop for a coffee in one of the bars or sit for a while in the squares and watch life go by. I can imagine what Siena is like when the Il Palio roadshow comes to town. I’m sure it’s a lot of fun. I do like city like this, though. Italy’s Oldest Palio: Palio di Asti – Italy Travel Guide in Planning a Trip tagged palio / palio di asti / Planning a Trip by Jessica Siena’s Palio is arguably the most famous horse race in Italy, but it is by no means the only – or the oldest – one. In a couple of weeks, a Palio dating back to the 13th century will be run in the town of Asti in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy.

The Palio di Asti is the oldest recorded bareback horse race in Italy, and takes place every third Sunday in September. This year, that means the race itself will be run on September 16th, but the pageantry begins the Thursday before the race when flag-bearers and marching bands representing the various neighborhoods which will compete in the race make their way through the piazza. Local residents of the neighborhoods are on hand to cheer for their district. Events on Friday and Saturday include a market in the piazza and neighborhood meals held in honor of each district’s horse and jockey. DOWNLOAD OUR TRAVEL GUIDES DOWNLOAD NOW The earliest recorded Palio di Asti took place in 1275 (for reference, Siena’s famous Palio “only” goes back to the 1600s), and you can read more about the event and its history on the official Palio di Asti site here . Tickets must be purchased for this Palio if you want to get a seat in one of the grandstands surrounding the piazza, although admission to the central area is free.

Asti’s Palio is certainly not “undiscovered Italy,” but if you are in the Piemonte region and can get a room nearby, you are bound to be treated to a fantastic Italian festival and more than likely will not see as many tourists as you would in Siena. And while things may already be booked up for this year, you can always plan for next year’s Palio and reserve a room in one of the the Asti hostels or Asti hotels nearby for a real taste of medieval Italy. Il Palio di Siena | Events before and during Siena's Historical Horse Race and Costumed Pageant - In Italy Online Il Palio di Siena is Italy's most famous historical horse race and costumed pageant Siena's Palio Events That Lead Up To The Race JUNE 29 OR AUGUST 13, 7 am – Presentation of the horses that will participate in the trial runs. JUNE 29 OR AUGUST 13, 9 am – The so-called "tratta" begins. This is the procedure by which the horses are matched with the ten Contradas participating in the Palio.

All horses that have been seen by vets and deemed fit are divided into three groups and tested for three rounds in the Campo to make sure they are suited to the race track. The Contrada captains gather to select the final ten horses, as the Mayor looks on. JUNE 29 OR AUGUST 13, 10am/11am– On the stage in front of Palazzo Pubblico, lots are drawn and each horse is assigned to a Contrada. After each assignment, the Barbaresco takes the horse to the stables, accompanied by the people of the Contrada. JUNE 29, 7.30 pm OR AUGUST 13, 7 pm – First of six trial runs preceding the Palio. These races verify the conditions of both the horse and the jockey. For each test the horse is escorted from the Contrada stable to the Entrone (entrance of Palazzo Pubblico) by a large group of Contrada members who often sing traditional songs. If you want to attend the trial runs (which can be extremely boisterous and are not really suitable for young children), you must take your seat in the Campo before the track is cleared by the police.

Every Contrada can change the jockey previously chosen, up until the morning of the Palio. Only the horse cannot be changed. The horses enter the "canape" (two ropes strung across the race track, between which the horses must be aligned before the race can start) in the same order the Contradas will enter the Campo on the evening of the Palio. JUNE 30 OR AUGUST 14, 9 am- Second trial run. The horses enter the "canape" in reverse order. JUNE 30, 7.30 pm OR AUGUST 14, 7 pm – Third trial run. The horses enter the "canape" in the order of the draw assignment. JULY 1 OR AUGUST 15, 9 am – Fourth trial run. The horses enter the "canape" in the reverse order. JULY 1, 7.30 pm OR AUGUST 15, 7 pm – Final Rehearsal. The horses enter the "canape" in the order of the number attached to their ear during the draw.

JULY 1 OR AUGUST 15, 8.30 pm or so – Final Rehearsal Dinner. In each Contrada participating in the Palio, leaders, members, guests and a few lucky tourists attend a banquet in honor of the pageant protagonists. The jockey sits at the table of honor with the Contrada leaders. Songs, speeches, and wishes for the victory of the Contrada. After the banquet, each Contrada Captain and his Lieutenants go to visit the leaders of the allied Contradas and make deals aimed at favoring the victory of some Contradas and obstructing enemy ones: everything is based on trust. JULY 2 OR AUGUST 16, 7.45 am – In the Chapel adjacent the City Hall, the Archbishop celebrates the "Jockey Mass." JULY 2 OR AUGUST 16, 9 am – "Provaccia." This means "the lousy trial run," so-called because the Contradas show little interest. After this test, captains and jockeys gather at the City Hall to enscribe the jockey and show his colors. After this the jockey can no longer be changed.

JULY 2, 3.30 pm OR AUGUST 16, 3 pm – Blessing of the horse and the jockey in each Contrada's parish church. The priest ends the mystical rite with a wish that sounds like an order: "Go and come back victorious!" The Contradas' and the Comune's extras walk through the historical center, stopping by Piazza Salimbeni, in front of Palazzo Chigi Saracini, and in Piazza del Duomo, to perform flag-waving feats. JULY 2, 4.30 pm OR AUGUST 16, 3.50 pm – Departure of the cortege from the courtyard of Palazzo del Governo in Piazza del Duomo, to Piazza del Campo. JULY 2, 5.20 pm OR AUGUST 16, 4.50 pm – The historical cortege enters the square in the order of the first test.

JULY 2, 7.30 pm OR AUGUST 16, 7 pm - The Palio banner is raised above the judges' stage, while the seventeen ensigns perform flag-waving. Soon thereafter – but only when the jockeys and horses are aligned to the official's approval – the Palio begins! Palio di Siena - Siena's Palio Horse Race � all about the Palio CIVETTA (Owl) an owl. Black and red with white bands. LEOCORN0 (Unicorn) a unicorn. White and orange-yellow with blue bands. NICCHIO (Shell) a seashell. Blue with yellow and red bands. TORRE (Tower) an elephant with a tower on its back. Dark bordeaux red with white and blue bands. VALDIMONTONE or simply MONTONE (Ram) a rampant ram. White and yellow with red bands. Terziere di Camollia BRUCO (Caterpillar) a caterpillar. Yellow and green with blue bands. DRAGO (Dragon) a flying dragon. Red and green with yellow bands. GIRAFFA (Giraffe) a giraffe. White and red.

ISTRICE (Porcupine) a porcupine. White, red, black and blue bands. LUPA (She-Wolf) the Roman She-Wolf suckling the twins. Black and white with orange-yellow bands. OCA (Goose) a crowned goose with the cross of Savoia round its neck. White and green with red bands. The "Contrade" first appeared in the middle of the 15th century to celebrate certain solemn events. They were represented by special wooden devices shaped like animals, such as, for instance, a giraffe, a dragon, a porcupine, a she-wolf, a caterpillar, a goose etc. - worked from inside by the youngsters of the districts they represented. They were called after the animals themselves. Very soon these associations began to organize shows of their own, such as: bull hunting (suppressed in 1590), buffalo races (only until 1650), donkey races and a game called "Giuoco delle Pugna".

In ancient times (besides the usual horse-races which took place in many towns of Italy to celebrate certain particular religious and civil events) the Sienese played other kinds of games, such as: Mazzascudo (mace and shield) because the players bore maces and shields; the Giorgiani in honour of San Giorgio (battles with blunt weapons); Elmora detto dei cestarelli because the players wore certain funny baskets (cestarelli) on their heads; le Pugna (punching) abolished in 1324 because the players started throwing stones at one another, then weapons and sticks were used and a real battle ensued. To re-establish order the Bishop was compelled to descend into the square with a train of priests and monks. "La pallonata", a game played between the "Terzi" of the town. A huge ball was thrown from the top of the "Mangia" tower by the youngsters of one of the "Terzi" into the field of their opponents. This game was played on January 13, 1555 for Biagio di Montluc, the French Marshall. Of all these games only the Palio has survived.

The preparations for this parade are slow and methodic like a liturgical procedure. Four days before the day of the Palio trials take place in the "Campo" square which is turned into a race track. A thick layer of earth is spread on the ground and a row of mattresses is placed against the walls at the dangerous corner of San Martino to protect the jokeys in case they fall. The whole square is amazingly fit for such manifestations because its shape is that of a mediaeval Roman amphitheatre closed at the base by the straight line of the Palazzo Pubblico. Besides being semi-circular this peculiar square is also funnel-shaped like the theatres of the imperial age. Eleven streets run into it, though it is extremely difficult to percieve them from the middle of the square. All around the track, perched up against the walls of the houses, seats are arranged one behind and above the other like bleachers. Windows, balconies and loggias, too, are made ready for the visitors; 33,000 seats in all, but they are far from sufficient and are always sold out long before the day of the performance.

In the centre of the square there is room for about 28,000 people to stand, but this is not enough either and the roofs, the turrets and the cornices of the old houses looking on to the square are also crowded. There are people everywhere, even in the most unlikely places. On both the appointed days every year the "Contrade" - that is to say all the Sienese population - compete for a prize which is but a hand painted silk banner (pallium). Each "Contrada" is represented by a group of young men called "Comparsa" arranged as follows: one drummer, two flag-bearers, with their flags, one "Duce", two grooms, one page carrying a flag with two pages at his sides carrying the emblems of the "Contrada", the race-horse called barbero with a jockey called "barbaresco", last the jokey who is to run the race on a parade horse called "soprallasso" followed by a groom. The historical parade is a lively display of rich medieval costumes which date back to the time period from 1430 to 1480; their colours are as bright as one may fancy.

The procession goes winding its way round the "Campo" square in the following order: the flag-bearer of the Commune on horseback bearing the standard of Siena (the black and white Balzana) followed by his groom, a group of drummers, a group of trumpeters and musicians called "musici di Palazzo" playing the march composed for the Palio by Pietro Formichi in 1875 on their bugles, the Captains, the representatives of the "Podestï¿½" (called podesterie), the flag-bearers with the standards of the "Terzieri" of the town and of the lands belonging to the Commune called "Masse", the flag-bearers of the Corporations of the Arts and Crafts, the captain of the peopIe (Capitano del popolo) on horseback and a group of flag-bearers with the flags of the old Sienese Republic. Next come the representatives of the "Contrade" called "comparse".

The first ten are those which are to run in the palio horse race; they are followed by a row of young pages bearing festoons of laurel leaves and then by the seven "Contrade" that do not run (they have no "barbero" and no jockey). Next comes the captain of Justice (Capitano di Giustizia) riding a horse and then the representatives of the seven "Contrade" that no longer exist: Cock, Lion, Beam, Oak, Sword, Viper. Last comes the triumphal chariot (carroccio) drawn by huge oxen. In the chariot are seated the four "Provveditori di Biccherna" (administrative authority who in times of yore used to superintend public representations, along with the oriflamme of the Commune, the Palio to be awarded to the victor, and a group of trumpeters. When this magnificent pageant has slowly gone round the square, all the representatives go to sit on a platform raised just for the purpose beneath the windows of the "Palazzo Pubblico".

When they have all been seated ther, they look like a strange army after some brilliant victory, or a train of heroes or of poets ready to enter Paradise. As soon as everything is quiet, the flag-bearers from all of the "Contrade" perform together with their flags in what is most commonally known as "gioco delle bandiere". They throw them high up into the air and catch them again before they touch the ground; it is a splendid, most decorative display of colours accompanied by the beating of drums, the sound of bugles and trumpets and the chimes of the big bell on top of the "Mangia" tower; the little bell on the chariot, known in Siena as "Martinella", is also very busy ringing. All of this is but a prelude, a time of anxiety and expectation. When at last the horses appear and the race starts, the crowd becomes delirious. The jockeys goad their horses round the square three times and the people shout as if the town were about to fall. The spirit of Siena is in the very colours of her "Contrade" and in all the manifestations connected with each of them.

First of all, the benediction of the horses and jockeys, each in the church of their own "Contrada", early in the afternoon just before the Palio. It is this spirit that animates the whole manifestation and contributes such enthusiasm and pathos to the scene. This traditional popular manifestation lasts four days (from June 29 to July 2 and from August 13 to 16) and finishes in the streets of the victorious "Contrada" where the people celebrate the happy event in a most joyous way. Winner pays all. Whoever happens to be in Siena during these exciting days can, but join in the enthusiasm of the people for the Palio and, of course, the final victory. Visitors, in fact, often go roaming through the winding streets of the ancient town sympathizing with the "Contrada" in which they are living; they do their best to understand the alliances and rivalries between the contradas and temporarily become fervent "contradaioli" (as the inhabitants of each Contrada are called) having much at heart the health of the race horse and of the jockey.

To Siena with love The Palio: Siena and Its Crazy Horse Race by Rick Steves The Palio: Siena and Its Crazy Horse Race By Rick Steves If you don’t go to the Palio itself, you can catch one of the trials before the event. (photo: David Hoerlein) Siena seems to be every Italy connoisseur's pet town. More than a sum of places to see, Siena itself is the sight, and the town has an easy-to-enjoy soul. Courtyards sport flower-decked wells and alleys dead-end at red-tiled rooftop views. No matter where you wander, you'll eventually end up at the town's glorious red-brick main square, Il Campo. As the heart of the proud former Republic of Siena, Il Campo centers on its city hall, not its church. And its "declaration of independence" is the tallest secular medieval tower in Italy, the 100-yard-tall Torre del Mangia. (It was named after a hedonistic watchman who consumed his earnings like a glutton consumes food; his statue is in the courtyard.) The steps get pretty skinny at the top, but the reward is one of Italy's best views.

This great central piazza is urban harmony at its best. Like a people-friendly stage set, its gently tilted floor fans out from the tower and city hall backdrop. It's the perfect invitation to loiter. Think of it as a trip to the beach without sand or water. Find a spot at a café here and give yourself time to bask in the scene. Notice the Fountain of Joy, at the square's high point, with its pigeons politely waiting their turn to gingerly tightrope down slippery snouts to slurp a drink. Savor the fact that Siena was the first European city to eliminate automobile traffic from its main square (1966), and then, just to be silly, wonder what would happen if they did it in your city. Then imagine this same square square jammed with people as the city hosts Europe's most famous and frantic horse race, the Palio di Siena , which takes place every year on July 2 and August 16. The Palio is a culmination of ancient rivalries city between the city's 17 contrade — distinct historic neighborhoods, each with its own parish church, well or fountain, square, mascot, and team colors.

Around town, contrada pride is evident year-round with colorful banners, lamps, and wall plaques. Neighborhood festivals are frequent: If you hear the thunder of distant drumming, run to it for some medieval action — there's a good chance it'll feature flag throwers. All this passion comes to a fever pitch during the Palio, when 10 of the 17 neighborhoods compete (chosen by rotation and lot) in a wild horse race, hurling themselves with medieval abandon into several days of trial races and traditional revelry. On the evening of the race, Il Campo is stuffed to the brim with locals and tourists. Dirt is brought in and packed down to create the track's surface, while mattresses pad the walls of surrounding buildings. The most treacherous spots are the sharp corners, where many a rider has bitten the dust. On the big day, the horses are taken into their neighborhood church to be blessed. "Go and return victorious," says the priest. (It's considered a sign of luck if a horse leaves droppings in the church.) Picture the scene on Il Campo: Every possible vantage point and perch is packed with people straining to see the action.

Ten snorting horses and their nervous riders line up on the west side of the square to await the starting signal. Then they race like crazy while spectators wave the scarves of their neighborhoods. One lap around the course is about a third of a mile; three laps make a full circuit. In this no-holds-barred race — which lasts just over a minute — a horse can win even without its rider (jockeys ride precariously without saddles and often fall off the horses' sweaty backs). When the winner crosses the line, 1/17th of Siena — the prevailing neighborhood — goes berserk. Winners receive a palio (banner), typically painted by a local artist. But the true prizes are proving that your contrada is numero uno, and mocking your losing rivals. Bleacher and balcony seats are expensive, but it's free to join the masses in the square. Go with an empty bladder, as there are no WCs, and be prepared to surrender any sense of personal space. The city is unpleasantly crowded on Palio days (and rooms book up several months ahead), but you can still day-trip in to see horse-race trials on any of the three days before the main event.

The Palio is not some folkloristic event kept alive for tour groups. It's a real medieval moment. When I first considered filming it for my public-television show , local authorities said they'd rather not publicize it. If you're there for the race — crammed onto the square with 60,000 people, all hungry for victory — you may not see much, but you will certainly feel the spirit of Siena. Siena and its Crazy Horse Race | Rick Steves | Smithsonian Siena and its Crazy Horse Race Il Campo, the main square of Florence's next-door-neighbor, is urban living at its best If you don't go to the Palio itself, you can catch one of the trials before the event. (David C. Hoerlein) Smithsonian Magazine | Subscribe April 2009 Siena, Florence’s next-door neighbor, seems to be every Italy connoisseur’s pet town. More than a sum of places to see, Siena itself is the sight. Grab a gelato, join in the evening stroll, and end up at the town’s glorious red-brick main square, Il Campo.

Lean up against a pillar as the setting sun plays games with the colors of the stone and the sky. At twilight, first time poets savor that magic moment when the sky turns into a rich blue dome no brighter than the medieval tower that holds it high. Related Content Tuning In to Tasty Italy Seven hundred years ago, Siena was a major military power in a class with Florence, Venice, and Genoa. With a population of 60,000, it was even bigger than Paris. To say that Siena and Florence have always been competitive is an understatement. In medieval times, a statue of Venus stood on Il Campo. After the plague hit Siena in the 14th century, the monks blamed the pagan statue. The people cut it to pieces and buried it along the walls of Florence. The dirty trick didn’t work and the plague was disastrous for the town. Siena’s loss became our sightseeing gain, as its political and economic irrelevance pickled it Gothic. Today, Siena’s thriving historic center, with traffic free red brick lanes cascading every which way, offers Italy’s best Gothic city experience.

Most people visit Siena, just 30 miles south of Florence, as a day trip, but it’s best experienced after dark. While Florence has the blockbuster museums, Siena has an easy to enjoy soul: courtyards sport flower decked wells and alleys dead end at red-tiled rooftop views. For those who dream of a Fiat free Italy, this is it. Sit at a café on Il Campo. Take time to savor the first European city to eliminate automobile traffic from its main square (1966), and then, just to be silly, wonder what would happen if they did it in your city. This great central piazza is urban harmony at its best. Like a people friendly stage set, its gently tilted floor fans out from the tower and city hall backdrop. It’s the perfect invitation to loiter. Think of it as a trip to the beach without sand or water. Don’t miss the Fountain of Joy at the square’s high point, with its pigeons politely waiting their turn to gingerly tightrope down slippery snouts to slurp a drink. Siena's Campo gathers around its city hall, not its church.

It was a proud republic and its “declaration of independence” is the tallest secular medieval tower in Italy, the 100 yard tall Torre del Mangia. (It was named after a hedonistic watchman who consumed his earnings like a glutton consumes food; his statue is in the courtyard.) The steps get pretty skinny at the top, but the reward is one of Italy’s best views. And if you are atop that tower on July 2 or August 16, you’ll see a vast square jammed with people as the city hosts Europe’s most famous and frantic horse race, the Palio. During each Palio, ten of the 17 neighborhoods compete (chosen by rotation and lot), hurling themselves with medieval abandon into several days of trial races and traditional revelry. Jockeys are considered hired guns...paid mercenaries. But on the big day, the horses are taken into their neighborhood church to be blessed. “Go and return victorious,” says the priest.

(It’s considered a sign of luck if a horse leaves droppings in the church.) On the big day, Il Campo is stuffed to the brim with locals and tourists, as the horses charge wildly around the square in this literally no-holds-barred race. A horse can win even if its rider has fallen off. After the winner crosses the line, 1/17th of Siena goes berserk for the next 365 days. Single Page Previous Page 1 of 2 Next 1 2 Like this article? When is the Palio di Siena and how can I see it? - Telegraph Telegraph When is the Palio di Siena and how can I see it? The race takes place on July 2 and August 16 22 January 2016 • 12:00am Italy has turned down a request to the send famous horse race to Britain for the Queen's 90th birthday. Here's how HRH can see it What is the Siena Palio? It’s perhaps Italy’s most famous annual sporting event.

But Siena’s Palio is as much about pageantry, civic identity and Sienese pride as it is about a bareback horse race that lasts, on average, just 75 seconds. Held in honour of the Virgin Mary, the race takes place twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August. Ten of the city’s seventeen contrade, or districts, are represented by a horse and jockey in each race. The seven districts that didn’t race in the previous July or August contest compete by right, and are joined by horses from three lucky ‘repeat’ contrade, drawn by lot. The race is no tourist-board invention, like some of Italy’s supposedly "Medieval" fairs, jousts and pageants: it has been held almost uninterruptedly in Siena’s civic hub, Piazza del Campo, since 1644 at least. And it’s certainly not staged for the benefit of visitors. In fact, the 40,000 Sienese who crowd into the Campo on race day (two-thirds of the city’s population) are largely oblivious to their 20,000 Italian and international guests.

To gauge the strength of contrada loyalties, bear in mind that it is still common for ‘mixed-marriage’ couples to separate for the days leading up to and including the race if the contrada of the husband and wife both have a horse in contention. All this means two things for anyone keen to observe the race. The first is that you’re guaranteed an electric atmosphere matched by few sporting events in Italy outside of football derbies. The second is that you need to plan well ahead, as nobody is going to make you a gift of a grandstand ticket. To absorb the charged atmosphere, it?s worth coming to Siena at least four days before the race itself Photo: GETTY When is the Siena Palio? The race takes place on July 2 and August 16. To absorb the charged atmosphere, it’s worth coming to Siena at least four days before the race itself. By this time, Piazza del Campo will already have been turned into a race-track, with workmen covering the course around the outside of the scallop-shaped piazza in yellow earth and staking out the central area which is the only free vantage point.

In the days leading up to the Palio, you can witness la tratta (the selection of the horses, around midday on June 29 and August 13), and the six horse trials that take place from the evening of la tratta day to the morning of Palio day. To watch these, make sure you’re in the cordoned-off area in the centre of the square by 8.40am for morning trials and 7.15pm for evening trials. The other great Palio tradition are the festive open-air dinners each contrada holds on the evening before the race – on July 1 and August 15 – with trestle tables running the length of the district’s main street or filling up the main piazza. There are various Siena insiders who can get you into one of these (see below for a couple of recommendations), but an alternative is just to turn up a day or so before at the HQ of your chosen contrada and ask (addresses can be found at ilpalio.org ). Typically, a dinner ticket costs around €50 a head.

To the despair of photographers, the race itself takes place just as the day’s light is fading, after a seemingly endless melée in which horses and riders jockey for position behind the canapa, or starter’s rope. It’s preceded by a two-hour-long procession in historical costume which evokes the glory days of the Sienese Republic in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when it was the centre of the Italian banking system and had the same population as Paris. To the despair of photographers, the race itself takes place just as the day?s light is fading Photo: GETTY How to visit the Palio There are three ways to see the race. The easiest – and the only one if you haven’t made advance preparations – is to take up position in the cordoned-off area in the centre of the piazza, sometimes referred to by locals as il palco dei cani or ‘the dogs’ stand’. There’s no charge for this; however, if you want to grab a good viewing position, you’ll need to turn up in the morning, the earlier the better, and be prepared for a long wait.

The latest you should get there is about five hours before the race - say 3.30pm for the July Palio, and 3pm for the August one, as this is when they begin to clear the racetrack. Be aware that there are no toilet facilities in this central section, though there are soft-drink sellers and first-aid posts. Bring plenty of water, and make sure you have hats and sun-block. Raincoats are optional; if it rains with any intensity in the hour or so before the Palio itself, the race will in any case be postponed until the following day. Given the wait, the lack of seating and pìpì-pavilions, and the crush as the square fills up, this is not a place for young kids. The second possibility is to book a seat on one of the stands or palchi around the square; those closest to the mossa (the starting and finishing line) cost the most. Nothing about the Palio is straightforward, so it should come as no surprise that you can’t just turn up at the tourist office and buy a ticket.

Palchi are owned and run by the bars, restaurants or shops they stand in front of – so try asking if you happen to be in Siena months before the event, or better still ask this year for next. Prices are in theory agreed with the town council, and range from around €160 to €350 per seat. Finally, there are the windows, or better still the balconies, of the houses and palazzos overlooking the square. The lucky (often aristocratic) owners of these can charge exorbitant prices – from €350 upwards – for the right to a viewing perch. If you’re interested, one of the Palio insiders listed below under Contacts can hook you up with the right contessa or marchese (and may be able to source stand tickets too). Whatever your vantage point, make sure you choose a contrada to root for – it makes the whole experience so much more fun.

Once you’ve found one, and bought the appropriate scarf – readily available from souvenir stalls and shops – you’ll want to catch the priestly blessing of the horse and jockey in the official contrada church early in the afternoon of the Palio day (if the horse leaves a steaming visiting card on the church floor, it’s considered to be a good omen). And if your contrada wins, you can try crashing the victory dinner that evening. Your adoptive contradaioli are likely to be too happy, and too drunk, to resent the invasion. Bring plenty of water, and make sure you have hats and sun-block Photo: GETTY Where to stay The hotel Castel Monastero, in the hills south of Siena, offers three-night packages including access to a private window overlooking the piazza, with a buffet supper with wine - full details at castelmonastero.com. Hotel rooms in Siena’s centro storico get booked out several months in advance for the days of the Palio. Whenever you book, expect to pay around double the low-season rates.

If you like to plan well ahead – for the 2015 or 2016 races, say – you may still find rooms at delicious six-room boutique gem Campo Regio Relais (25 Via della Sapienza; +39 0577 222 073; camporegio.com ; Palio-period doubles from €300 with a minimum three-night stay) or characterful historic three-star Palazzo Ravizza (Via Pian dei Mantellini 34, +39 0577 280 462; palazzoravizza.it , Palio-period doubles from €200 with a minimum three-night stay). For this year’s Palio, look outside the centre. One good tip is to base yourself near one of the stations on the little train line that winds east towards Chiusi.

In the laid-back town of Sinalunga, the famed Locanda dell’Amorosa (Località L’Amorosa; +39 0577 677211; amorosa.it ; doubles for Palio period from €270 a night) is a Tuscan hamlet converted into a deliciously romantic country hotel. And in the centre of the pretty walled village of Serre di Rapolano, Palazzo Bizzarri (Via Matteotti 5; +39 348 784 8761; palazzobizzarri.it ; doubles from €85 with breakfast) is a little insider secret: a great-value B&B inside a fortified palazzo dating back to the thirteenth century, with just two guest rooms done out in a warm antique style.

Unless you have a ticket, you need to arrive in Siena by about 3pm to have a chance of a view of the race Contacts Among Siena insiders who can spring you into contrada dinners are Emily FitzRoy of high-end Italy experts Bellini Travel ( bellinitravel.com ) and Tuscan event organizer and Palio specialist Jacopo della Torre ( jacopodellatorre.com ). The official Palio website (Italian only) is comune.siena.it/La-Citta/Palio . Siena’s main tourist information office is inside the Santa Maria della Scala complex in Piazza del Duomo (+39 0577 280551, terrasiena.it ). More on Italy

Question: In which city is the most famous Palio run?
Answer: Siena