Thousands of spectators, coming from all the world, fill the Piazza del Campo to capacity on the day of the Palio di Siena.

Banners of the Contrade sold before the beginning of the race.

The Palio di Siena (known locally simply as Il Palio), the most famous palio in Italy, is a horse race held twice each year on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, in which the horse and rider represent one of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards. See Fiat Palio for the car Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest very often of a historical character This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Siena. Contrada (plural contrade) is a generic name given to various types of Italian city subdivisions now unofficial A magnificent pageant precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world. A Medieval pageant is a form of Procession traditionally associated with both secular and religious Rituals often with a narrative structure

Both horse and rider are dressed in the colours and arms of the Contrade: Aquila (Eagle), Bruco (Caterpillar), Chiocciola (Snail), Civetta (Little Owl), Drago (Dragon), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Crested porcupine), Leocorno (Unicorn), Lupa (Female Wolf), Nicchio (Seashell), Oca (Goose), Onda (Wave), Pantera (Black Panther), Selva (Forest), Tartaruga (Tortoise), Torre (Tower) and Valdimontone (often shortened to Montone) (literally "Valley of the Ram"). Eagles are large birds of prey which are members of the Bird order Falconiformes and family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera Caterpillars are the Larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera (the Insect order comprising butterflies and Moths The word snail is a Common name that can be used for almost all members of the Molluscan class Gastropoda which have coiled shells in the The Little Owl ( Athene noctua) is a Bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide The giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African Even-toed ungulate Mammal, the tallest of all land-living Animal Species The Crested Porcupine, also known as the European Porcupine, African Porcupine, or North African crested porcupine ( Hystrix cristata) is A unicorn (from Latin unus 'one' and cornu 'horn' is a Mythological creature. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora A seashell, also known as a sea shell, is the Common name for a hard protective outer layer a shell or in some cases a " test " that was created Goose (plural geese) is the English name for a considerable number of Birds belonging to the family Anatidae. A wave is a disturbance that propagates through Space and Time, usually with transference of Energy. A black panther is a black ( melanistic) color variant of one of several Species of larger cat which are often known by the term panther. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Tortoises or land Turtles are land-dwelling Reptiles of the family of Testudinidae', order Testudines. Towers are tall human-made Structures that are always taller than they are wide usually by a significant Margin.

History

Any connection with the sacred games of the ancient Romans being obscured by time, the earliest known antecedents of the race are medieval. The town's central piazza was the site of public games, largely combative: pugna, a sort of many-sided boxing match or brawl; jousting; and in the 16th century, bullfights. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Bullfighting or Tauromachy (from Greek ταυρομαχία - tauromachia, "bull-fight" is a traditional spectacle of Spain Public races organized by the Contrade were popular from the 14th century on; called palii alla lunga, they were run across the whole city.

When the Grand Duke of Tuscany outlawed bullfighting in 1590, the Contrade took to organising races in the Piazza del Campo. The rulers of Tuscany have varied over time sometimes being Margraves the rulers of handfuls of border counties and sometimes the heads of the most important family Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is one of Europe's greatest medieval squares The first such races were on buffalo-back and called bufalate; asinate, races on donkey-back, later took their place, while horse-racing continued elsewhere. The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family and an odd-toed ungulate. The first modern Palio (called palio alla tonda to distinguish it from the earlier palii alla lunga) took place around 1650. At first, one race was held each year, on July 2; a second, on August 16, was added later. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting The horses go around the piazza three times.

The race today

The first race (Palio di Provenzano) is held on July 2, which is both the Feast of the Visitation and the date of a local festival in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano (a painting once owned by the Sienese leader Provenzano Salvani, which was supposed to have miraculous curative power). The second race is held on August 16 (Palio dell'Assunta), the day after the Feast of the Assumption, and is likewise dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This article is about the theological concept For the works of art with this title see Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Art and Roman Catholic Marian art. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary After exceptional events (e. g. the Apollo 11 moon landing) and on important anniversaries (e. A moon landing is the arrival of an intact manned or unmanned Spacecraft on the surface of a Planet 's Natural satellite. g. the centennial of the Unification of Italy), the Sienese community may decide to hold a third Palio between May and September. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian

The field consists of ten horses, which means that only ten of the city wards can take part in the Palio on any occasion. Contrada (plural contrade) is a generic name given to various types of Italian city subdivisions now unofficial The seven wards which did not take part in the previous place are automatically included; three more are chosen randomly. Contrada (plural contrade) is a generic name given to various types of Italian city subdivisions now unofficial Three days before the race, private owners offer the pick of their stables, from which representatives of the participating Contrade choose ten of approximately equal quality. Contrada (plural contrade) is a generic name given to various types of Italian city subdivisions now unofficial A lottery then determines which horse will run for each Contrada. A lottery is a form of Gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize Contrada (plural contrade) is a generic name given to various types of Italian city subdivisions now unofficial Six trial races are run, the first on the evening of the horse selection and the last on the morning before the Palio. The devout residents of each Contrada invoke the sacred aid of their patron saint on their horse and jockey. Contrada (plural contrade) is a generic name given to various types of Italian city subdivisions now unofficial The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members The worldly improve their odds with more profane methods, chiefly bribery and doping. Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption is an act usually implying money or gift given that alters the behaviour of the recipient in ways not consistent with the duties of that person The sensible simply keep a close watch on their stable and their rider.

The carroccio of Siena, during the procession preceding the Palio of August 2006. A Carroccio was a War chariot drawn by Oxen, used by the Medieval republics of Italy.

The race is preceded by a spectacular pageant, which includes (among many others) Alfieri, flag-wavers, in medieval costumes. Just before the pageant, a squad of carabinieri on horseback, wielding swords, demonstrate a mounted charge around the track. The Carabinieri (Italian for Carabiniers are the national-level Gendarmerie of Italy who also perform Military police duties Cavalry charge redirects here For the football tactic see Cavalry charge (football. Spectators arrive early in the morning, eventually filling the centre of the town square, inside the track, to capacity; the local police seal the entrances once the festivities begin in earnest. Seats ranging from simple bleachers to elaborate box seats may be had for a price, but sell out long before the day of the race. Bleachers redirects here For the novel see Bleachers (novel. Bleachers is a term used to describe the raised tiered stands found In Theater, a box is a small separated area in the Auditorium for a limited number of people The landlords of buildings overlooking the piazza sometimes stipulate that tenants must be absent on the day of the Palio, in order to rent the space to spectators. Landlord is the owner of a House, Apartment, Condominium, or Real estate which is rented or Leased to an individual or business

At 7. 30 p. m. (July) / 7 p. m. (August), the detonation of an explosive charge echoes across the piazza, signaling to the thousands of onlookers that the race is about to begin. The race itself runs for three laps of the Piazza del Campo, the outer course of which is covered with several inches of dirt and the corners of which are protected with padded crash barriers for the occasion. The jockeys ride the horses bareback from the starting line, where there is only room for nine horses. The tenth, the rincorsa, stands behind those nine. The start is given by a local authority called Mossiere, who has to wait for all the horses to be in the correct position. When this moment is (with great difficulty) achieved, he activates a mechanism that instantly removes the canapo, the starting cord.

On the dangerous steeply-canted track, the riders are allowed to use their whips not only for their own horse, but also for disturbing other horses and riders. The winner is the first horse to cross the finish line with its head ornaments intact — the rider does not necessarily need to finish, and often does not. The loser in the race is considered to be the Contrada whose horse came in second, not last.

The winner is awarded a banner of painted silk, or palio, which is newly created for each race. The enthusiasm after the victory, however, is so extreme that the ceremony of attribution of the Palio is quite instantaneous, being the first moment of a months-long celebration for the winning ward. There are occasional outbreaks of violence between partisans of the various Contrade.

After the race, a certain curiosity might traditionally regard the result of the bets that the inhabitants of each Contrada (contradaioli) made about the Palio; frequently, the losers have to bear being ridiculed by their winning opponents.

There is some danger to spectators from the sheer number of people in attendance. There have also been complaints about mistreatment of horses, injuries and even deaths, especially from animal rights associations and even from some veterinarians. A veterinarian ( American English) or a Veterinary surgeon ( British English) often shortened to vet, is a Physician In the Palio held on August 16, 2004 the horse for the Contrada of the Bruco (Caterpillar) fell and was badly trampled as the race was not stopped, despite possible additional safety risks for other horses. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The horse died of its injuries, raising further complaints from animal rights organizations.

View of the Piazza del Campo, where the Palio is run.

Sources

• Brown, Margaret Mcdonough and Titus Buckhardt (1960). Siena, the City of the Virgin. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Drechsler, Wolfgang (2006). "The Contrade , the Palio and the Ben Comune: Lessons from Siena", Trames 10(2), 99-125.
• Dundes, Alan and Alessandro Falassi (2005). La Terra in Piazza. An Interpretation of the Palio of Siena. 2nd of the new edn. (Orig. 1972). Siena: nuova imagine. (Standard work, but meanwhile very controversial because of its Freudian interpretation. Psychoanalysis is a body of ideas developed by Austrian physician Sigmund Freud and his followers which is devoted to the study of human psychological functioning and behavior )
• Falassi, Alessandro (1985). " Pageant: Siena's Everlasting Republic", The Drama Review 29(3), 82-92.
• Handelman, Don (1998), Models and Mirrors: Towards an Anthropology of Public Events, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Silverman, Sydel (1979). "On the Use of History in Anthropology: The Palio of Siena", American Ethnologist 6(3), 413-436. (Most important counter-model to Dundes & Falassi. )
• Pascal, C. Bennett (1981). "October Horse", Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 85, 261-291.
• Spicer, Dorothy Gladys (1958). Festivals of Western Europe. Wilson.
• 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Siena

External links

• Archive of the Palio di Siena I (Italian)
  • Archive of the Palio di Siena II (English)
• Regulations of the Palio (Italian)