The Siena Palio
A unique offer for this magnificent event. |
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The main piazza in Siena, comely known
as ‘Il Campo’ is still used twice a year
for the well known and very ancient Palio horse race.
The Palio is internationally famous and one of the best
loved Italian events. It takes place every year on July
2nd and August 16th.
The Palio is run to celebrate the
miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary near the old
houses that belonged to Provenzano Salvani in the mid
1600’s. The holy apparition was dubbed "Madonna
di Provenzano" and the very first Palio was run
in her honour in 1656, on August 16th.
The other Palio, on july 2nd was
run for the first time in 1701 in honour of the "Madonna
dell'Assunta" the patroness and advocate of Siena
through all it’s tragic events. She protected
the Sienese militia at the famous battle of Monteaperti
against the Florentines.
The Palio is a secular historical
tradition strictly connected with the origin of the
Contrade of Siena (districts into which the town is
divided). The Contrade are competitive in a spectacular
way. Each has a seat, an oratory, a coat of arms, appellations,
titles of nobility, emblems and colours, official representatives,
festivities, patron Saints, protectors, their own delimited
territories and their own population which consists
of all those people who were born or live within the
topographic limits of the district, according to the
proclamation issued by Violante Beatrice of Bavaria
on January 7th, 1730, at that time Governess of the
town.
Originally the "Contrade"
were fifty-nine, at least so it seems; now only seventeen
exist, ten of which take part in the historical pageant
and in the race at each Palio (seven by right and three
drawn by lots).
Here is a list of their names, emblems
and colours grouped into "Terzi" or "Terzieri"
(in olden times the town was divided into three sections
called: "Terziere di Città", "Terziere
di San Martino" and "Terziere di Camollia".
Terziere di Città:
- AQUILA (Eagle) a double headed eagle
with imperial symbols. Colours: yellow with black and
blue bands.
- CHIOCCIOLA (Snail) a snail. Yellow and red with blue
bands.
- ONDA (Wave) a swimming dolphin wearing a crown. White
and blue.
- PANTERA (Panther) a rampant panther. Red and blue
with white bands.
- SELVA (Forest) a rhinoceros bearing a huge tree hung
with hunting implements. Green and orange-yellow with
white bands.
- TARTUCA (Tortoise) a tortoise. Yellow and blue.
Terziere di San Martino:
- CIVETTA (Owl) an owl. Colours:
black and red with white bands.
- LEOCORNO (Unicorn) a unicorn. White and orange-yellow
with biue bands.
- NICCHIO (Shell) a sea-shell "Nicchio" means
sea-shell. Blue with yellow and red bands.
- TORRE (Tower) an elephant with a tower on its back.
Dark red with white and blue bands.
- VALDIMONTONE or simply MONTONE (Ram) a rampant ram.
White and yellow with red bands.
Terziere di Camollia
- BRUCO (Caterpillar) a caterpillar.
Colours: Yellow and green with blue bands.
- DRAGO (Dragon) a flying dragon. Red and green with
yellow bands.
- GIRAFFA (Giraffe) a Giraffe. White and red.
- ISTRICE (Porcupine) a porcupine. White, red, black
and blue bands.
- LUPA (She-Wolf) the Roman She-Wolf suckling the twins.
Black and white with orange-yellow bands.
- OCA (Goose) a crowned goose with the cross of Savoia
round its neck. White and green with red bands.
The "Contrade" first appeared
at the middle of the 15th century to celebrate certain
solemn events. They were represented by special wooden
devices shaped like animals, such as, for instance,
a giraffe, a dragon, a porcupine, a she-wolf, a caterpillar,
a goose etc. - worked from inside by the youngsters
of the districts they represented. They were called
after the animals themselves.
Very soon these associations began
to organize shows of their own, such as: bull hunting
(suppressed in 1590), buffalo races (only till 1650),
donkey races and a game called "Giuoco delle Pugna"
(still goes on today).
Preceding (besides the usual horse-races
which took place in many towns of Italy to celebrate
certain particular religious and civil events) the Sienese
played other kinds of games, such as: Mazzascudo (mace
and shield) because the players bore maces and shields;
the Giorgiani in honour of San Giorgio (battles with
blunt weapons); Elmora detto dei cestarelli because
the players wore certain funny baskets (cestarelli)
on their heads; le Pugna (punching) abolished in 1324
because the players started throwing stones at one another,
then weapons and sticks were used and a real battle
ensued. To re-establish order the Bishop was compelled
to descend into the square with a train of priests and
monks); il Pallone, a game played between the "Terzi"
of the town. A huge ball was thrown from the top of
the "Mangia" tower by the youngsters of one
of the "Terzi" into the field of their opponents.
This game was played on January 13th 1555 for Biagio
di Montluc the French Marshal.
Of all these games only the Palio
has survived. The preparations for this parade are slow
and methodic like a liturgical procedure. Four days
before the Palio trials take place in the "Campo"
or main square which is turned into a racing track.
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 jockeys
in case they fall.
The whole square is amazingly fit
for this type of race because its shape is that of a
mediaeval Roman amphitheatre closed at the base by the
straight line of the Palazzo Pubblico. Besides being
semicircular, 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 perceive
them from the middle of the square. All around the track,
perched up against the walls of the houses, seats are
ranged one behind and above the other. Windows, balconies
and loggias, too, are made ready for the visitors; 33,000
seats in all, but they are far from sufficient and are
always sold out long before the day of the race.
In the centre of the square there
is room for about 28,000 people to stand, but this is
not enough either and the roofs, the battlements 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. Maria Emmett (of London,
England) once said “The Palio is the most exciting
five minutes of your life”
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 year artists from
far and wide submit designs in order to win the right
to paint the banner for that year.
Each "Contrada" is represented
by a group of young men called "Comparsa"
ranged as follows: one drummer, two flag-bearers, with
their flags one "Duce" or captain, 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 mediaeval costumes which date back to
the period of time from 1430 to 1480; their colours
are as bright as one may fancy. The procession goes
wending its way round the "Campo" square in
the following order: the flag-bearer of the Commune
on horseback bearing the standard of Siena (the black
and white Balzana) followed by his groom, a group of
macers, a group of trumpeters and musicians called "musici
di Palazzo" playing on their bugles the march composed
for the Palio by Pietro Formichi in 1875, the Captains,
the representatives of the "Podestà"
(called podesterie), the standard-bearers with the standards
of the "Terzieri" of the town and of the lands
belonging to the Commune called "Masse" the
flag-bearers of the Corporations of Art, the captain
of the peopIe (Capitano del popolo) on horseback and
a group of flag-bearers with the flags of the old Republic.
Next come the representatives of
the "Contrade" called comparse. The first
ten are those which are to run 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).
Next comes the captain of Justice
(Capitano di Giustizia) riding a horse and then the
representatives of the seven "Contrade" that
no longer exist: Cock, Lion, Beam, Oak, Sword, Viper.
Last comes the triumphal chariot (carroccio) drawn by
huge oxen. In the chariot are seated the four "Provveditori
di Biccherna" (administrative authority who in
times of yore used to superintend public representations,
the oriflamme of the Commune and the Palio to be awarded
to the victor, and a group of trumpeters.
When this magnificent pageant has
slowly gone round the square all the representatives
go to sit on a platform raised for the purpose just
beneath the windows of the "Palazzo Pubblico".
When they are all seated there they look like a strange
army after some most brilliant victory, or a train of
heroes or of poets ready to enter Paradise. As soon
as everything is quiet the flag-bearers of all the "Contrade"
perform together a game with their flags called "gioco
delle bandiere". They throw them high up into the
air and catch them again before they touch the ground;
it is a splendid, most decorative display of colours
accompanied with the beating of drums, the sound of
bugles and trumpets and the chimes of the big bell on
top of the "Mangia" tower; the little bell
on the chariot known in Siena as "Martinella"
is also very active.
All this is but a prelude, a time
of anxiety and expectation. when at last the horses
appear and the race starts the crowd becomes delirious.
Three times the jockeys goad their horses round the
square and the people shout as if the town were about
to fall.
The spirit of Siena is in the very
colours of her "Contrade" and in all the manifestations
connected with each of them, first of all the benediction
of the horses and jockeys each in the church of their
own "Contrada" early in the afternoon just
before the Palio. It is this spirit that animates the
whole event and contributes such enthusiasm and pathos
to the scene.
This traditional event lasts four
days of parades, religoiuse services, eating, drinking
and high jinks (from the 29th of June to the 2nd of
July and from the l3th to the l6th of August) and finishes
in the streets of the victorious "Contrada"
where the people celebrate the happy event in a most
joyous way.
Whoever happens to be at Siena during
those exciting days can, but join the enthusiasm of
the people for the Palio and, of course, the final victory.
Visitors in fact, often go roaming through the winding
streets of the old town sympathizing with the "Contrada"
in which they are living; they do their best to understand
the alliances and rivalries between the Contrade and
temporarily become fervent "contradaioli"
(as the inhabitants of each Contrada are called) having
much at heart the health of the race horse and of the
jockey.
At InTuscany we do not organise Palio
tickets, those willing to brave the crowds and searing
sun can go early to claim standing room only in the
centre of the course. For more information please contact
the town council of Siena:
...buy Palio tickets...
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