On August
16th, Siena buzzes a little more than usual.
Il
Palio
The church bell
in the famous Mangio Tower sounds at 8am, as jockeys attend Mass with the
Archbishop of Siena. Later the horses will be blessed in their contrade too.
It is a great honour for the jockey to wear
the colours of his contrade, but it is the horse who is the star -- unlike other
horse-races, the horse can even win without a jockey.
There are 17 contrade (districts) in the city
of Siena, but only ten horses may compete for il Palio (the secretly created banner
presented as a prize) because of space restrictions.
The race is run
around the Piazza del Campo, and is over in around 75 seconds; although
for the loosers the shame lasts a lot longer.
Palii:
Palii were often associated with major
festivals of the Roman Catholic Church. The pagentry is deceiving, as behind the colourful
facade lies brutality and bloodshed.
Injuries to horses and jockeys are frequent,
especially round the notorious San Martino corner. Jockeys can whip their rivals and other
horses in an attempt to get round first.
Palli were also
held in Verona, Padua, Ferrara, and Bologna during the Middle Ages, but in Siena the
tradition continues every August 16 and July 2nd (occasionally the 3rd -- and sometimes in
September).
After the race, the winners go back to their contrade, and even the horse
enters the cathedral with its flag waving supporters.
Siena, The Palio:
U dedication to this ancient tradition from the commune di Siena. Complete with audio and
video.
Palio Live:
This cam should be going out on August 16 from 16:00 CET.
Welcome
to Italy:
As stylish as the passagio on a Sunday. Stroll through the site by itinerary, region, or
province.
Autostrada:
How to make motorways interesting? The Italians do fine; with interactive maps, traffic
forecasts, and even suggestions of games to play when stuck in a jam. Graphics intensive.
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