With its annual horse race in Siena, Italy preserves medieval traditions and celebrates the rowdy and competitive spirit of the city’s storied past.
With medieval pageantry, open bribery, and lawless competition, the Palio di Siena is a sight to behold in the revered Piazza del Campo at the heart of one of Tuscany’s most memorable cities. The Palio is held twice a year on July 2nd and on August 16th, when the medieval maze of Siena comes alive with historic festivities in all 17 of the city’s patriotic contrade, or local districts, which face off against their neighboring adversaries in emotional displays of deeply rooted civic pride. With victory and tradition on the line, the Palio is a race unlike any other as well as a true representation of Italy’s vibrant culture and esteemed history.
The original Palio di Siena dates back to the 1600s before the separation of the seventeen contrade in 1729, and though new festivities and rivalries have formed throughout its centuries-old history, the ancient customs of the race are maintained through medieval regulations, or a lack thereof. The last major rule change of the Palio took place in the early 1700s, so feisty modern jockeys take to the clay track with as much free reign on decorum and sportsmanship as their predecessors in the founding years of this unruly tradition. Even the carefully selected horses have historic origins linked to medieval royals who brought Arabian thoroughbreds from the Mediterranean coast of Africa to race through Siena’s famous piazza.
Though each annual race attracts thousands of visitors and is highly publicized, the main event is preceded by feasts, parades, and a thorough selection process for both jockeys and horses. Four days before the race, a public lottery fills the city with tourists alongside members of each contrada, who march toward the medieval piazza holding their respective district flags while belting folk songs in perfect melody. As horses are assigned to each jockey, they are swiftly ushered away by representatives from each contrada who are followed by swarms of its residents decorated in traditional regalia and colors with their home banners held high, each marked with a heraldic animal or symbol.
On the day of the race, thousands of spectators fill every open space of the piazza, craning their necks for a glimpse of the narrow track while those with balcony and bleacher tickets pay thousands to watch the two-minute spectacle from above. At its inception, the Palio was attended by diplomats, ambassadors, and royals, and its exclusivity today maintains the intimate, cherished traditions of its local culture from antiquity to the present.
A loud detonation kicks off the impassioned race, sending the bareback jockeys at full speed around the sharp turns of the Piazza del Campo, which are cushioned with padded crash barriers for the annual occasion. Riders armed with whips, not only to strike their own horses but also to hit opposing jockeys, complete three full laps on the crowded stretch. The fiery and often violent race is over before the adrenaline in the Sienese air settles over the piazza, making the instantaneous victory celebration even more spirited than the actual event. The winning jockey is immediately draped with a silk banner hand-painted by a different commissioned artist for each annual race, and the horse is paraded through the streets of its winning contrada then led to a nearby church for prayers of thanks.
For decades, the risks associated with the Palio di Siena have generated criticism from many animal rights associations, who worry that the racehorses are mistreated due to the absence of race regulations and the turbulent atmosphere of the competition. Despite growing concerns about the ethicality of the Palio, international veterinarians participate in the event with increased interest each year, ensuring the health and safety of all horses throughout months of training as well as on the day of the race. Though danger is an unavoidable element of the tradition for both horses and riders, the municipality of Siena has responded to animal rights concerns with heightened care and an ancient reverence for the animals which make the yearly Palio a reality.
As today marks the second annual date of the Palio, an eerily quiet and empty Piazza del Campo bears witness to a second unprecedented year without the thrill of the centuries-old tradition. Because crowds at the event leave no space for social distancing, four Palio races have been cancelled since 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As city officials await final relief after a year and a half of fluctuating cases, yet another race is put on hold, dashing the hopes of Siena’s residents yet again.
Despite today’s solemn stillness in a city normally in the throes of a massive celebration, the absence of the Palio is a stark reminder of the necessity of such cultural traditions that give life to historic areas like the medieval beauty that is Siena. When the uncertainty of the pandemic at last subsides and the crowds of the contrade meet once again at the heart of their beloved city, the belated return to the Palio di Siena will no doubt be a spectacle for the masses and a long overdue celebration befitting of Siena’s most fiery Palio aficionados.
