The Palio

For outsiders, it is almost impossible to understand what this ancient race means to the people of SIENA. The Palio is the lifeblood that flows through the veins of the Sienese. It is in their DNA. The Palio is about pride, belonging and faith. They don’t race for a prize, but for something much more precious - honour. It is this incredible sense of belonging and identity that makes Siena so unique.

Understanding the intense passion and rivalries that have existed for centuries

Siena’s old city centre is an extraordinary example of medieval town planning and this is why it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is still enclosed by 14th century defensive walls and has an intricate network of streets within seventeen neighbourhoods called Contradas.

Today, the boundaries are easily identifiable as you walk through the old city streets, as they are symbolically marked by painted pottery plaques on the walls. Each plaque depicts the Contrada’s animal and colours - eagle, caterpillar, snail, owl, dragon, giraffe, porcupine, unicorn, she-wolf, seashell, goose, wave, panther, forest, tortoise, tower and ram.

Contradas

Belonging to a Contrada is far more than being baptised into it. It’s about passion, sharing and unity. Being a Contradaiolo is about providing one’s service without expecting anything in return; it’s about learning from older members through continuous communication which is undoubtedly one of the most amazing things about Contrada life. It’s about establishing a link with the past, which is kept alive through stories, traditions and legends handed down from one generation to the next.

Each Contrada has its own museum, church, social club, piazza, stable and fountain. There is also a notice board behind glass that tells of special events, births, deaths and marriages in the Contrada.

The museum is where they display all the costumes used in the Historical Pageant and the memorabilia related to the Contrada’s history, in particular, all the hand-painted silk banners the Contrada has won in Palios over the centuries. The silk banner is called the Palio.

The small, private church is where weddings and funerals take place, but the most unique and moving ritual is the “Blessing of the horse”, performed by the Contrada’s priest a few hours before the Palio. Siena is perhaps the only place in the world where a horse is allowed to enter a church. It is hoped that the horse will leave a pile of manure as that is considered good luck!

The five star stable is empty for most of the year, but during the Palio it is equipped with everything to ensure the horse is comfortable, including a member of the Contrada who stays with the horse day and night, even sleeping in the stable.

The fountain plays a very important role in Contrada life, as it is where the Contrada baptisms are held. It is not a religious baptism, but a symbolic one, welcoming new members into the Contrada they will belong to for life. If two parents belong to different Contradas, it is not unusual for there to be heated family discussions about which Contrada to baptise their children into. Boys generally become members of their father’s Contrada and girls members of their mother’s, but this isn’t a given rule.

Alliances and Rivalries

The Contradas have complex relationships that include both alliances and rivalries. It is possible to have more than one ally, whereas rivalries are usually just between two Contradas, resulting from ancient boundary disputes or disagreements during a Palio. These alliances and rivalries have changed over time and continue to do so. Where it gets tricky is if two people want to marry from rival contradas.

Preparing Piazza del Campo

The Palio takes place in Siena’s main square, the stunning Piazza del Campo. Preparations begin a week before which involves the old stones around the edge of the square being covered by several layers of a sandstone mixture. Mattresses are placed on the edge of the most dangerous corner. The central part of the square, which has brick paving, is enclosed by wooden fences and standing spectators can watch from inside for free, although you don’t see much.

The drawing of lots

There are two races held, the first on the 2nd of July and the second on the 16th of August. Only ten Contradas can take place in a race. Selection is based on a rotation system and a draw. The seven Contradas that didn’t take part in the July Palio the previous year will automatically run in the July race the following year, while the remaining three are drawn in a kind of lottery one month before the big day.

Choosing the horses

The true stars of the Palio are the horses. In fact, a Contrada can win the race even if the horse crosses the finish line without the jockey. As it is a bareback horse race and the piazza is neither flat nor even, it is quite common for jockeys to fall off. Contradas cannot choose their horse, only their jockey after they have been allocated their horse.

Four days of trials

For four days, everything in Siena revolves around the six horse trials which is the opportunity for the jockey to get to know his horse. Everyone goes into the piazza at 9:00am and 7:30pm, after which they head off to the dinners held in the streets in the Contradas. During this period, people in Siena put their problems, jobs and even love life on hold. Everything is paused, frozen in time.

The race

After a full day of pomp and ceremony culminating in the Historical Pageant and a flag throwing display by all seventeen Contradas, it is time. The Palio finally starts at 7:00pm with the arrival of the horses from the courtyard of the Town Hall. Each jockey receives a special whip made of dried ox tendon, which he can use both to encourage his horse or to defend himself against other jockeys. Bribery is legendary, betrayal common. There are no rules except one. A rider cannot interfere with the reins of another horse.

The starting line is two large ropes and the starting order is randomly selected a few minutes before the race starts. One by one nine horses are called to the starting line, but the tenth horse to be called doesn’t enter with the others. It starts the race from behind, by running up to the starting line at just the right moment.

The Palio is three laps around the piazza clockwise and it’s all over in about 90 seconds! There are tears of despair and joy, jubilation, endless hugs and cries of relief. When a Contrada wins the Palio, an entire community that identifies with the same colours is filled with pride and joy.

But it doesn’t end there. Over the following months the celebrations continue with endless dinners and entertainment and of course bragging rights for a year!

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb