Palio — Siena For Five

Palio is the most important event in Siena. It’s like the Melbourne Cup, The Ashes and Australia Day all in one. In essence, it’s a horse race between the 17 contrade (districts) of Siena, but it’s so much more.

It was the first thing we found out about before moving here but we weren’t sure we were really going to be able to experience it. It’s not for tourists. Most of the activities leading up to the race are held inside the contrade, so outsiders aren’t able to see them. Also, to watch the race itself you either have to purchase very expensive tickets or stand all day in the middle of the Piazza del Campo in the middle of summer with thousands of other people with no access to water or toilets(!).

After asking some local families what they did for Palio, we resigned ourselves to the fact that hat it would just be too hard so we decided to leave on our big summer trip before the race and just watch it on television.

However, in the weeks leading up to Palio, I was getting serious FOMO. I was starting to regretting booking the holiday so soon and started asking around to see if there was anything else we could get involved with in the weeks leading up to the race.

As it turned out, we were fortunate to get two separate invitations in the space of a couple of days. First, we were invited by friends who are members of Contrada dell’Aquila (the Eagle) to join them in several special pre-palio meals. We were also invited to the Palazzo Sansedoni to watch the first of the trial races!

This was better than we could have ever expected - we had our tickets to a proper local experience.

To get ourselves up to speed with the peculiarities of the Palio (which everyone said is a game, not a race), our local friends suggested we watch the 2015 documentary film ‘Palio’.

The film is great and really explains the uniqueness of the event and just how much money and honour is at stake. It’s basically the answer to the question ‘what would happen if race fixing wasn’t illegal?’

The first event was a contrada dinner on Friday June 28 (the race is always on July 2). I went by myself and got into the city a bit early to walk around a soak up the atmosphere. The track had been laid and the grandstands and overhead walkways were up, which gave the center of town a very different feel.

Every entrance to Piazza del Campo was blocked with timber bleachers.

After joining our friends for a drink in the Piazza we headed to the headquarters of Nobile Contrada dell’Aquila (several contrade are allowed to use honourifics in their names for various historical reasons. In the case of Aquila, the title ‘Nobile’ was given by Charles V of Habsburg as thanks for magnificent reception the contrada gave him during his visit to Siena in 1536.

It was exciting to be able to go through the contrada gates, which are usually shut.

Everyone sat outside at long benches. The food was simple but great, with plenty of wine and a terrific atmosphere.

I left after dinner to walk back to the car (every outing in Siena begins and ends with a 20 minute walk from or to your car, regardless of where you park).

It was about 11:30 and the streets were full of people.

The contrada flags and the ceremonial lamps had all been put up.

The next day we headed back into town for a traditional trippa (tripe) breakfast with the contrada and to watch the drawing of the horses (the horses are assigned randomly).

We stopped in Piazza del Campo for a family selfie.

Each contrada has a special fountain where all the baptisms are carried out. We met at Aquila’s..

While we were waiting we saw Chiocciola (the snail) celebrating their saint day with a parade (and trying to psych out the competition).

After the tripe (which was actually pretty good), we headed to the stables to wait for the announcement of the draw. In the past, horses were tampered with in the 4 days between the draw and the race itself, so now guards are appointed to live with the horses until race day.

The crowd started to grew as the clocked ticked on. As with most things to do with the Palio, the process is pretty unpredictable and nobody knew how long it would take this year. We waited.

And waited.

After an hour in the heat we eventually gave up and headed home.

Mandi and Polly decided they’d had enough Palio and wouldn’t head back for the trial and dinner, so later that evening I headed back into town with Hayley and Audrey.

The contrade had started to fill the stands in the Piazza and the children were practicing their chants.

As the piazza filled, we grabbed gelati and watched the horses as they were led to the Palazzo Pubblico.

At 7pm we headed to the Palazzo Sansedoni and were invited inside. It was a spectacular building with a view to match. We took in the view and waited for the trial to start. There are five trial runs in the four days leading up to the race. They are designed to help the horses get used to the track and the crowds.

Eventually the horses exited the Palazzo and were let around the track to the starting line.

After only 5 minutes of antics and false starts (which is nothing by Palio standards - one year after three hours they had to postpone the start until the next day) they were off!

It only takes 90 seconds for the three laps of the Piazza and the trials are almost always uneventful. After the race the contrada members surround their horses and sing and cheer. It’s also an opportunity for the horses to get more comfortable with crowds.