Palio delle Contrade - siena 2017

The Palio

The Palio of Siena is a horse race, held twice a year in the city of Siena, in the Piazza del Campo, the central square. Each horse and rider pair represents one of the seventeen contrade of the city. 

The riders, riding bareback, make three laps of the square and are allowed to use their whips to hit other horses and riders. The winner is the first horse to finish the race with its head ornaments intact. The rider does not have to finish the race. The loser of the race is the quarter that finishes second and not last.

The winner receives a painted silk flag, called a palio, designed especially for each race. Although the enthusiasm after the victory is extreme, the prize-giving is immediate. Fights between supporters from different districts sometimes occur and the losers are often ridiculed by the winners.

Ornate medieval banner displayed during traditional Siena festival with decorative artwork.
Densely packed medieval buildings with terracotta roofs cascade down hillside in Siena, Italy.
Siena's Piazza del Campo illuminated at night with Torre del Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico.
Colorful flag throwing performance inside a historic Italian church with ornate altar.
Large outdoor dinner gathering in an Italian piazza with historic buildings illuminated at night.
Charming cobblestone alley with green shutters and potted plants in an old Italian village.
Historic Italian hilltop town glows golden at sunset with cathedral tower rising above terracotta rooftops.
Underground workshop with woodworking tools and equipment lined along stone walls.
Aerial view of Siena's terracotta rooftops and medieval architecture under dramatic cloudy skies.
Ancient floor mosaic depicting the she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus in Siena Cathedral.
Looking up at an ornate dome ceiling with golden decorations and geometric patterns in an Italian cathedral.