The Dirt Goes Down: Siena's Palio

Torre, in one of the prove.

Siena's Palio is one of the most exciting spectacles in the world: twice a year (July 2 and August 16) the city's contrade, or neighborhoods, hold a bareback horse race around the town square in honor of the Virgin Mary.

The preparations take several days and you should plan to see them all. The dirt goes down around the town square four days before the race, and that night the jockeys try about 70 horses, by the light of the moon. The next morning the horses are assigned by lot to the 10 contrade that will be competing and preparations begin in earnest. You should select a contrada and follow the horse home; you'll be quite welcome so long as you don't do anything that might upset the horse.

Every contrada running will want to win, and they will offer each other money in exchange for assistance during the race - money that they are only expected to pay if they win. Not sporting, you might object, but in the Palio victory is the only goal: coming in second is a disgrace. So, the Capitani of the contrade meet to make deals, well aware that their rivals (each contrada has a rival) will be doing their best to keep them from winning. While the Capitani are bargaining, 6 trials, called Prove, are held to accustom the horse to the jockey, the track, and the start, which is unique: 9 horses enter between the ropes, and the tenth makes a running start. These trials are held at 8:00 AM and 6:30 PM; if you get there early you can get within a yard of the starting gate.

The Prova Generale, the evening before the Palio, is followed by banquets organized in the streets and squares of the individual contrade. They're fun, with much laughter and song, and you will be quite welcome - purchase tickets directly from the contrada you have joined.

The afternoon of the Palio the Contrada's comparsa, a military company (the contrade were once Siena's military districts), dresses in its colors. Then the horse is blessed in the contrada's chapel, and the comparsa goes to pay homage to Monte dei Paschi (Siena's bank), the Nobles, the Bishop, and the Hospital. There's lots of flag twirling, which is quite beautiful - the best place to watch is from the steps of the Duomo (get there early).

The action then shifts to the Piazza del Campo: great bell of the Torre del Mangia begins to toll, and the Corteo Storico begins, retracing Siena's centuries of struggle against Florence, from the glorious victory against a vastly superior Florentine force at Monteaperti in 1260 to the ghastly day when Siena fell to her rival in 1560. Everything comes to a head when a copy of the Florentine war wagon captured at the battle of Monteaperti enters the Campo with the Palio. Once the track is cleared, the jockeys emerge from the town hall, taking their whips from the officials at the door. The horses are skittish, the jockeys bend all the rules, and all of a sudden they're off - three times around, a mere 90 seconds that seem like years. Then a jockey's raising his whip high in celebration, and the victorious contrada is swarming into the track to claim its Palio. Join them, and take the Palio home. The party will last till dawn.

Getting there: Siena is about 45 minutes from Florence, and is also easily accessible by rail. If this is your first Palio, you should treat yourself to a seat in a bleacher, though it will be expensive - 150-300,000 Lire, depending on location. The stores and bars lining the Piazza del Campo handle the balconies and bleachers in front of their establishments; to purchase tickets you must contact them directly, six to nine months in advance. The Azienda Autonoma del Turismo (Piazza del Campo 56, 53100 Siena, Italy; Tel (I-577) 280551; Fax (I-577) 270676; Telex (I-577) 573256) has their addresses, as well as addresses of hotels. You can also watch the Palio from the Campo, which is free (but crowded).

Want to Know more? There's a wonderful book on the Palio, by Alan Dundes and Alessandro Falassi. You can order it from the on-line bookstore we are associated with, Amazon.com!