The horse race named Palio di Siena is one of the most important historical traditions in the western world. Tourist should attend it once in a lifetime.
Go to Palio to join the tradition
When we lived in Siena, we decided to go to Palio. So we needed to go to Piazza del Campo that is the heart of Siena to watch the show. Before going, a friend asked me “Are you ready for your first and last time of Palio in your life?”. I smiled but I wondered why it could be such a negative experience. The friend’s hypothesis was confirmed later. We never went back to Piazza del Campo for another Palio.
The experience is full of charm, so much so that it should be tried at least once in a lifetime, even if it is exhausting. In particular, the wait appeared endless. The spectacular choreographies that alternate through the city streets and then in Piazza del Campo appear gigantic and interminable.
The departure is not a bureaucratic formula, but a baroque ritual that seems to serve only to exhaust the last energies of those who are among the crowd in the square under the summer heat. Only those who feel part of a district can understand the ecstasy of these ancestral rituals.
Palio di Siena
In this Tuscan city, summer is linked to the main event that is the Palio, a driving force capable of overwhelming everything. Siena is preparing all year to organize the two horse races festivals that are held on 2 July and 14 August. The first is in honor of the Madonna of Provenzano, the second in honor of the Madonna dell’Assunta.
Throughout the year, the fanfare exercises, accompanied by the repetitive sound of drums, disturb study, work, or life. For instance, one group liked to practice under my wife’s window on every Saturday early morning and many other days. People lived in that building couldn’t rest well when they practiced.
In reality, the Palio is one of the most important, fascinating and popular historical events in the world. In Europe, only the feast of San Fermín in Pamplona can evoke similar sensations. The Palio is so important that the James Bond 007 film “Quantum of Solace” begins during the Palio di Siena horse race.
Contrade (Districts)
The impressive historic center of Siena is divided into 17 districts. Those born in a district are initiated to recognize themselves in its symbols and traditions, to represent it and to feel it. The “contradaioli” (people who live in the districts) participate in a precise social life, which contemplates the preparations for the Palio. Playing drums and waving flags become their daily bread. Each district has a symbol and a name that generally refer to nature.
The 17 “contrade” are: Eagle, Caterpillar, Snail, Little Owl, Dragon, Giraffe, Crested Porcupine, Unicorn. She-Wolf, Seashell, Goose, Wave, Panther, Forest, Tortoise, Tower, Valley of the Ram.
As the Palio approaches, ancient rituals grow. First, the ten districts that will participate are decided. A week before the race, the Municipality presents the “drappellone” that is the real Palio, the trophy disputed by the “contrade”. This is a cloth painted by a local or international artist. Among the best known artists, the cartoonist Milo Manara and the Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj have painted the Palio.
Tratta (Bargaining)
Four days before the race, the horses show up and the so-called “tratta (bargaining)” takes place. Theoretically, “tratta” is a drawing of lots for the horse-jockey binomial.
In reality, “tratta” is a more complex phenomenon, the right mix between good luck and bargaining skills. The districts bargain and bribe to grab the best jockeys and the best horses.
The operation requires wisdom and money. Thanks to the “tratta”, the richest district of the city has won the largest number of races. “The Goose” has won 66 Palios, while the second in the standings (“The Snail”) has won 14 fewer. During the “tratta” alliances and enmities between the districts also emerge.
After the pairs of horses and jockeys are formed, the first of the six trials begins. The day before the race, the general rehearsal and the subsequent dinner of the participating districts take place.
Dinner represents one of the most important experiences for the life of the district. The “contradaioli” spread tables in the most capacious places in the district, even if they often have to crowd into narrow streets, due to lack of space. The jockey sits at the table of honor together with the captains and managers of the district.
Corteo storico (Historical parade)
Mass is held on the morning of the Palio. Immediately after, jockeys run the “provaccia” (bad rehearsal). During the “provaccia”, the jockeys ask the horses not to run too hard. In the afternoon, the districts bless the horses and jockeys, before starting the historical procession.
We arrived when the procession has just started from Piazza del Duomo and winds its way through the intricate streets of the center. We witness the long parade of almost seven hundred participants, divided into more than fifteen groups.
A large group represents the guilds that were based in the districts. For example, the district “the goose” is associated with the guild of dyers. Only the ten districts that participate the Palio parade. The procession becomes a spectacular parade of orchestras, flag-wavers, crossbowmen, etc.
The participants slowly gather in Piazza del Campo, the main square in the shape of a shell, where the race will take place. The track of the horse race is located inside the square. We were also inside the square, under the scorching sun and under the imposing Torre del Mangia, which is the civic tower 88 meters high.
Mossa (Start)
How to start?
After the interminable parade, the horses line up in front of the start, or at least try to do so. The start is called “mossa”. The “mossiere” is the judge who determines the regularity of the departure. The “mossiere” reads the order, kept secret until that moment, with which the horses must line up. Nine horses line up closed between the two ropes and look straight ahead, while the tenth takes a run from behind.
The race starts in this way: the tenth horse starts to run first because it is behind the other horses and ropes. When the tenth passes next to the other nine horses, the “mossiere” drops the ropes and marks the start of the race.
But it’s not easy to line up nine horses in that tight space. Also, the jockeys try to annoy the rivals. The jockey who starts running tries to start the race at the most unfavorable moment for the enemy district. As a result, the start can take hours.
The suffer
I remember that I have always found this stage maddening. As a child, sitting in front of the TV, I waited with trepidation for the Rai TV commentators to shout “It’s good! Started!”. Between false starts and riotous horses, the start often seems to never come.
In 1991, the “mossa” continued to not to start until the sun had gone down, the “mossiere” decided to postpone the race to the next day.
We waited a lot in the Piazza del Campo under very hot sun with the crowd. The problem was that there was no way to leave Piazza del Campo if a person did not want to see the Palio anymore. People were basically “quarantined” in the square by standing in the hot weather.
Our friends recommended us to not to drink any water before we went because there was no way to go to toilet. Seeming like an endless waiting plus thirsty and the hot weather made people feel desperate. Furthermore, if you are not a very tall person, you basically can only see others’ head instead of the Palio.
The Race
The race starts when all the horses are finally lined up. The horses take about one minute and twenty seconds to complete the three laps of Piazza del Campo. In this minute, a little bit of everything happens: incorrect actions, jockeys falling and horses proceeding alone. When the horse continues without a jockey it is defined as “scosso (shaken)”. When the winner crosses the finish line, three firecracker shots explode.
The winner is cheered, while whoever finishes second is the real loser. The greatest humiliation for a “contrada” is to finish second behind a “scosso” horse. The jockey who finishes second after the “scosso” horse must get out of the way as soon as possible, so as not to be threatened by the angry “contradaioli”.
My wife was happy with seeing the horse race because after the race started, I tried to lift her up to let her see something. She was so excited to tell me that she saw one black horse was running. Though that’s the only thing she saw, she was very satisfied because she thought she would not see anything at all.
The party for the winners begins. Meanwhile, the crowd in Piazza del Campo clears quickly. We went to go to a nearby place, where we had a good pizza prepared, accompanied by a plate of fried potatoes. Placed at the top, the television broadcasts in rotation the images of that minute and twenty seconds that brought a district to rejoice.
Note: for those who want to see the 007 film (Quantum of Solace, 2006) with the starting with Palio, it is still available for rent or buy on Amazon Prime, Itunes and Google Play.
Written by Enrico, Translated by Hua and Photo from Hua
