The Palio di Siena (Italian: [ˈpaːljo di ˈsjɛːna]; known locally simply as Il Palio; from Latin pallium) is a horse race held twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August, in Siena, Italy.

Jan 30, 2024 · This guide tells you everything you need to know about the Palio and the contrade of Siena competitors. You'll also find tips for attending the race. The Palio is a chaotic medieval-style horserace that takes place twice a year in Siena's Piazza del Campo.

The Palio is Italy’s most famous horse race that takes place twice a year on Piazza del Campo, Siena’s shell-shaped medieval square. It attracts about 40,000 spectators in the Piazza del Campo and about 100,000 people in the city during the days of the race.

What is the Palio di Siena? It’s one of the most celebrated events in Italy and famous all over the world. The Palio di Siena is a competition between the city’s seventeen Contrade (neighbourhoods) of very ancient origins.

Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a comune against each other.

What is the Palio? The Palio is the most important event in Siena, taking place on July 2 and August 16 every year. In the Palio, the various Sienese "contrade", or areas in which the city is divided, challenge each other in a passionate horse race in the heart of …

Jun 7, 2023 · Considered one of the most authentic and vibrant medieval shows in Italy, Palio di Siena is not just a horse race; it’s an event that symbolizes the rich history and deeply rooted traditions of Siena city.

The Palio lasts four days: from 29 June to 2 July for the race of Provenzano and from 13 to 16 August for the race of the Assumption. The first day of the festival (29 June and 13 August) is packed with events.

In the Middle Ages, the prize for the winner of a race – of horses, but not only – was a drape of precious fabric called a ‘pallium’: Palio. The horse race in Siena in honour of the Assumption of the Virgin – worshipped as queen of the city – was the ‘national holiday’ of the Republic.

Jun 28, 2021 · It’s called the Palio di Siena, an ancient race that dates possibly to Etruscan times. Since the 1600s, the contest has played out in Siena’s main piazza, Piazza del Campo, as athletic steeds run snout to snout in a blow-out competition.