Today Siena is hosting the Palio di Siena at 19:30 CEST. It’s an annual horse race recorded since the 1230s, surviving in the current form since 1644: currently, 17 contrade dispute two palios a year (today + 16th Aug), the winner of either is awarded a banner to showcase in the contrada’s treasury

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  2. The banner is custom made by an artist, different for each palio. Besides the custom banner, the winning horse gets blessed by the Bishop (and it’s a sign of good luck if the horse shits in the cathedral).

    It together with the whole of Siena is a strong statement of the city state culture of communal italy (1050-1300) although careful as it isn’t clear from the title but the Palio changed quite a bit since then and it has been in the current formalised race since only 1644 – we do have a complete chronology of winners since then 1644, making it 378 years of recorded winners! There’s some gap years like very notably during WW2.

    Originally it was a horse race between different noble families of the city, usually crossing the whole city in roughly straight lines, now dubbed Palio alla lunga; during the days of the summer festivities many different events were held in Siena, the Palio but also including Jousting activities also held among noble families, and the contrade played a role in the popular activities of the masses, which didn’t include the Palio. We’re talking possible medieval similars of calcio storico played with leather balls, and also a very big multiple-sides kinda boxing match that more looked like a chaotic brawl. For a brief stint in the 15th century there were also bullfights being held. These bullfights were replaced by the less crude Bufalate, a popular event (thus organised by the contrade) in which people raced with buffaloes. Of these 13-14th century brawls we have the game of Elmora and game of Pugna (both types of brawls with different rules, the second coming because the first was considered too violent and was made illegal. Game of Pugna was regardless still very violent), pallonate (similar to calcio storico fiorentino, which is a very violent type of football), giochi di San Giorgio which was a simulation of a battle, and asinate, a popular race held with donkeys where contrade tried to win while rival contrade tried to obstacle them, turning into a very violent game.

    Palio nowadays is a generic term for prize in Italian, used specially for motorsports, but it originates in the horse races present in Tuscany at the time: the Palio is originally a piece of very expensive cloth awarded to the winning noble (hence the modern banner).

    Through the first century and a half the Palio gradually changed as the role and scope of nobles also changed dramatically, from a race between nobles to one done by their subordinated soldiers; and the responsibility passed from noble families to the contrada – city factions and groups representing a neighbourhood and certain social classes, during that time the Palio event grew in size becoming a festivity for showcasing the triumph of civic sense and city pride in Siena, where many important figures, powerful aristocrats, high ranking clergymen and European rulers came for the Palio – Charles V was known to gift an eagle statue made of precious metals to the Contrada Imperiale dell’Aquila (imperial contrada of the eagle) whenever he visited the city.

    When the city fell to the granduchy of Tuscany the purpose of the palio changed in scope as it wasn’t anymore an event to showcase pride and civic nationalism. The event undergoes a certain shift, with different methods and rules until it settles in the current venue in 1605 and in the current format in 1644: going from being in the whole city to only the central plaza (Palio della rotonda) and with the modern rules format.

    The contrade changed a bit in form and number but were definitely settled in 1721, settling 17 contrade, fusing together the small ones and splitting the bigger ones, and with their settled symbology.

    8 of the contrade have a special title attached to them -> like the Sovereign contrada of the Porcupine, called sovereign because it’s in its territory that is hosted the local headquarters for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, since early 1300s. Noble Contrada of the Eagle, awarded this title by Charles V himself for the very generous way that the emperor was accommodated during his visits, and because of the connections of the eagle as a symbol with the holy roman empire. Captain Contrada of the Wave, the oldest in the list, because it were their military companies that defended the palazzo pubblico and the personal residence of the Captain of Justice, Siena’s ancient magistrature, the captain of justice being the highest authority – and also because it were the mercenary bands from this contrada that protected the key port of Siena, when the city territory expanded to the shore. Noble Contrada of Nicchio because the inhabitants of that neighbourhood were the first to charge during the Battle of Montaperti in 1264, because they defended the gates of the city from a coup d’etat in 1527, for the construction of fountains and canals.

    The name of the contrada can get quite funky, starting from plain and simple ones with animals like the Porcupine, Eagle, Giraffe, Snail (not the best name to have for a race), Wolves, Caterpillars to mythical animals like the dragon or unicorn, to objects like the the contrada of the Tower, and even things: like (Captain) Contrada of the Wave (like the water waves you know), contrada of the Wilderness (because historically it was the contrada of the hunters) and Contrada of Valdimonte.

  3. Update: The Contrada of the Dragon won the Palio, almost losing to the Contrada of the Tower, had the track been longer by a few meters la Contrada della Torre (Tower) would’ve won since they were recovering great.

    The Contrada of the Panther also did well, considering the penalty they had, it even led for a while but ultimately failed, and his little battle with the Tower guy might’ve costed the victory to either.

    The Contrade of the Unicorn had to retire earlier because of problems with the horse and was most throughly booed

    The Contrade of the Giraffe had one dumb horse and he fell from it, getting also disqualified.

    This was the banner in prize for this edition of the Palio:

    https://www.gonews.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Drappellone_Masgalano_Palio_Siena_2022__1.jpg

    Designed by English artist Emma Sergeant, yes that Emma Sergeant.

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