Is there a more exhilarating horse race to watch than the Palio di Siena? We’re thinking maybe not. It might only last a little over a minute, but the sight of 10 brightly decked-out racers riding bareback, negotiating treacherous turns at break-neck speed, all to a thunderous soundtrack of hooves and cheers echoing around an ancient Italian piazza is, put simply, epic.
Il Palio (The Palio) – as it’s known simply to locals – happens twice a year on July 2 and August 16. A fierce competition dating back several centuries, nowadays it’s essentially a chance for Siena’s 17 contrade (city wards) to win bragging rights for the year.
In each race, 10 wards each enter a rider dressed in the area’s historic colours. They race on a dirt track laid around the periphery of Piazzo del Campo, right in the centre of Siena’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town.
The flamboyant pageant preceding each race is as much an attraction as the race itself. Like the race, flare is the order of the day. Locals play the role of medieval footmen draped in incredibly colorful old school garb.
We’ve put together a gallery to try to illustrate what the race is like. But to get a better appreciation of the atmosphere in the piazza and the speed that the race is run, check out the videos below. The first is an English-language short film telling the story of one running of the race. The second features typically passionate Italian commentary of last month’s race.
We wrote a post recently about great places to go horse-riding – Remote and beautiful trips in Ireland, New Zealand, USA, Mongolia, Botswana and India.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Featured image: Janus Kinase)
