The Buildup, The Drama, and it's Over - August 16, 2010

Taking in the pageantry of the race is the most exciting part of Il Palio. The crowds continue to arrive up until the start. There is a procession of contrade, and other officials in Siena and surrounding towns. It is this pomp that makes this event so special.

One can read many articles on the actual race, and its traditions, but the various sounds, silence, cheering and groans, will make me never forget seeing this race. It is an afterthought that our horse, Selva, fell in the first lap, and that Tartuca won the race. The true winners were those that saw the event.

Ciao!

Day of the Race - August 16, 2010

Excitement begins in the morning, even though the race doesn't plan to start until 7:15 at night. All through the city, you can see the anticipation of the different contrade. Parades of participants, all in their unique colors, take place starting early afternoon. Starting early morning, there are crowds standing in strategic spots in the middle of Il Campo. The seating there is free but there are no bathrooms or protection from the sun. Approximately 30,000 will crowd into the middle, and about another 30,000 watching from assigned seats, balconies, etc.

We could relax, knowing that we were going to have balcony seats in an apartment at Casato curve. We could take our time in visiting the city sites before the race. We planned to get to the seats about three hours before to take in the pageantry, and to have some wine and snacks in a comfortable apartment.

These seats are expensive, but well worth the luxury of taking in the atmosphere of the event, Il Palio. Above, I have included the ornate tickets produced for our seats.

Selva Contrada Dinner - August 15, 2010

We had arranged to participate in a pre-race dinner with the residents of Selva. This took place outside, behind Il Duomo, and it was a festive party that lasted for almost four hours. It consisted of food, free-flowing wine, speeches (in Italian, of course), and it is a traditional pep rally for the residents There are nine other dinners taking place at the same time, in different part of Siena.

Our tour operator (www.paliotours.com) arranged for everything, the hotel, city tour, contrada dinner and great seats. They even brought in local guides to sit with our group to interpret the festivities.

If you get an opportunity to participate in a dinner, you will capture a small portion of the allure that this event gives to its residents. This is truly an event for the people of Siena, and everybody else is a humble bystander.

Festivities leading up to Il Palio

To put this into perspective, the horse race (three times around Il Campo) lasts about 90 seconds! The true appreciation for this event is taking in the drama and anticipation of the race for a few days before. There is so much to chance in these races (horses are drawn by lot, and the position on the track is not known until just before the race commences), that it is in fate's hands as to the winner. If you read articles on the race, you will see that fate doesn't always work alone. There is a history of treachery, and bribery among the jockeys (all professionals hired by the contrade).

In these photos, you can see Il Campo during 'normal' times, and just before the race. After a tour of the city the day before the race, we went back to the hotel to participate in a Contrada dinner, the pre-race party for one of the districts, Selva.

Visit to Siena - August 14-17

We felt that returning to Italy, albeit for only eight days, was a great way to celebrate 40 years of marriage. For years, the spectacle called Il Palio Siena has been of interest to me. It's a pageant and celebration that is held twice a year, and it is a source of extreme competition between contrade, the local districts in the town.

In terms of rivalry, the Red Sox vs. Yankees intensity pales in comparison to the feelings of the contrade in Siena. Some of them have their avowed enemies, and having an enemy win the race is a source of pain...until the next Palio. Aside from the bragging rights for the winning horse, the only prize is the Pallium shown on the title page.

Our trip started with an overnight flight from Boston to Rome's Fiumicino, and a connection to Florence. In Florence, we had arranged for a driver to take us to our hotel for three nights, Hotel Athena. Athena was a pleasant hotel inside the city walls, and about a 10 minute walk (mostly uphill) to Piazza del Campo, the main square known as "Il Campo", and the site for the race. The photo gives you the view of the Tuscan hills from the hotel's roof. You can have drinks on the rooftop, and we also had a very reasonable dinner there one night. The view was included in the cost of the meal!

The Athena was a great spot for our three nights in Siena. The only downside was the size of the shower...think cruise ship size, and then think smaller!

Travel from Boston to Siena August 13, 2010

Why il Palio?

Siena is a beautiful town situated in Tuscany, about 45 miles south of Florence. It flourished in the 1400's. Since then, there had been regular races and competitions between the various neighborhoods, or 'contrade'. The first modern race was in 1656, and they are run annually, twice a year.

Here's a brief description, and it has been an event that I have always wanted to experience:

"Siena’s Piazza del Campo is a town square shaped like an oval slopping gently down to the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia, it is divided into sections representing the city’s nine rulers in the 1400s, known (bluntly enough) as the Council of Nine. But the Piazza’s striking medieval ambiance is not only due to the surrounding architecture – but for a race. For most of June, July and August, the entire city is devoted to Il Palio, a series of horse races held in the Piazza whose ancient passions makes the Kentucky Derby seem like a fly-by-night event. The festival’s contours have not changed since the 1100s, when members of the city’s 17 contrade, or town districts, began to compete with one another in track events. The two central races are held every July 2 and August 16, but the pageantry and excitement dominate Siena for the entire summer. "