The first horse to reach the finish line, with or without its jockey, wins. The first recorded Palio was in the year , but the race may be even older. The city of Siena is divided into 17 districts, called contrade , with a horse and jockey representing each one.
The feeling of loyalty and belonging that the Sienese feel for their contrada is unconditional and strong, so much so that Sienese think of themselves as belonging to their contrade first, then to Siena, and then to Italy.
In addition, the race truly is ruthless: few things are forbidden to the jockeys during the race. Riunioni clandestine avvengono durante i mesi in cui i capi delle contrade pianificano e fanno strategie a porte chiuse. Di questi, dieci sono scelti dai capitani delle contrade per partecipare.
Solo pochi istanti prima della gara viene assegnato a ciascuna delle 10 contrade partecipanti un cavallo con sorteggio. Corruzione e bustarelle fioriscono dal momento in cui i cavalli vengono scelti a quando vengono accoppiati ad una contrada. Sei prove si tengono nei giorni seguenti, i cavalli e i fantini vengono scrutati, acclamati e derisi. Reclutati al di fuori della Toscana, anche i fantini vengono corrotti e pagati. Processioni e sfarzi precedono la gara. I portabandiera e i musicisti seguono, aprendo la strada alla processione dei funzionari delle contrade e dei membri magnificamente vestiti in costumi storici.
Il preludio accresce la frenetica attesa della folla… e finalmente appaiono i cavalli e i cavalieri. I fantini vestiti con pantaloni di seta e camicie che mostrano i colori della contrada per cui cavalcano, entrano in modo singolare tra applausi fragorosi e caos.
La contrada vittoriosa rivendica lo stendardo di seta noto come il Pallio o drappellone, un oggetto di grande onore, e giorni di festeggiamenti iniziano sotto il bagliore della Torre del Mangia. The Palio race Photo: M.
English Italian. The race Photo: M. Receive more stories like this in your inbox. The winning jockey is the one whose horse, with or without jockey, firstly completes the three laps. The Contradas are agonistic institutions each having their own government, oratory, coat of arms, festivities, patron Saints and population which consist of all those people who were born or live within the topographic limits of the district.
The Palio prize is the so-called Drappellone , a large painted silk canvas designed and created each year by a different artist. Discover now Where to go What to do Where to stay Plan. Discover now. Jeff Koons. Discover more. Where to go. Prato Grosseto Lucca Arezzo Massa. Main attractions. Pisa's Medieval Walls. Mascagni Terrace. The Guinigi Tower. Massa Cathedral. The Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano. San Francesco Basilica in Arezzo. Santa Maria della Scala. Cascate del Mulino hot springs in Saturnia.
Piazza Duomo in Pistoia. 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, 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, 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 to ; their colours are as bright as one may fancy.
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. Last comes the triumphal chariot carroccio drawn by huge oxen.
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