Palio di Siena
palio di siena italian ˈpaːljo di ˈsjɛːna known locally simply il palio latin pallium horse race held twice year july august siena italy ten horse rider bareback dressed appropriate colour represent ten seventeen contrade city ward tradition dating back thcentury palio held july named palio di provenzano honour madonna provenzano marian devotion particular siena developed around icon terzo camollia area city palio held august named palio dellassunta honour assumption mary sometimes case exceptional event local national anniversary deemed relevant pertinent one city community may decide extraordinary palio run may september september celebrate city entering new millennium october commemoration centenary end great war corteo storico pageant sound march palio precedes race attracts visitor spectator around world race jockey ride bareback circle piazza del campo thick layer earth laid race run three lap piazza usually last second common jockey thrown horse making treacherous turn piazza indeed unusual see riderless horse finishing race horse required rider win race earliest known antecedent race medieval town central piazza site public game largely combative pugna sort manysided boxing match brawl jousting th century bullfight public race organized contrade popular th century onwards called palio alla lunga run across whole city grand duke tuscany outlawed bullfighting contrade took organizing race piazza del campo first race buffaloback called bufalate asinate race donkeyback later took place horse racing continued elsewhere first modern palio called palio alla tonda distinguish earlier palio alla lunga took place first one race held year july second august added though initially august race run intermittently rather every year august race il palio dellassunta coincided feast assumption probably introduced spontaneously part feasting celebration associated important festival date august presumably chosen day midaugust canonical festival th th month already taken respectively corteo dei ceri procession ceri census august palio started extension celebration july palio organized funded july winning contrada though contrada question could afford however organisation funding august race became central responsibility city removed annual uncertainty whether august palio would run held least since august yearold jockey virginia tacci first female ride steed race city munichborn governor violante bavaria defined formal boundary contrade time imposing several merger number sienese contrade reduced seventeen also year decree restricting ten number contrade could participate palio restriction remains force resulted number extent accident experienced preceding race seventeen contrade race ten seventeen contrade participate seven participate previous year palio three others chosen drawing lot first race palio di provenzano held july feast visitation date local festival honour madonna provenzano sculpture virgin mary owned sienese leader provenzano salvani supposed miraculous curative power second race held august palio dellassunta day feast assumption likewise dedicated virgin mary exceptional event eg apollo moon landing important anniversary eg centennial unification italy sienese community may decide hold third palio may september recent celebrate anniversary end wwi field consists ten horse seventeen contrade take part palio occasion seven contrade take part month previous year automatically included three chosen draw twice year last day may beginning july private owner among jockey offer pick stable selected year trial race palio race italy veterinary examination main representative participating contrade capitani choose ten approximately equal quality three day race lottery determines horse run contrada six trial race run first evening horse selection last morning palio corruption bribery commonplace prompting resident contrada known contradaioli keep close watch stable rider horse mixed breed purebred horse allowed race preceded spectacular pageant sound march palio corteo storico includes among many others alfieri flag waver medieval costume pageant squad carabinieri horseback wielding sword demonstrate mounted charge around track take one lap walk formation second gallop foreshadows excitement race come exiting one street lead piazza del campo spectator arrive early morning eventually filling centre town square inside track capacity local police seal entrance festivity begin earnest seat ranging simple bleacher elaborate box seat may price sell long day race pm july race pm august race detonation explosive charge echo across piazza signaling thousand onlooker race begin race run three lap piazza del campo perimeter covered several inch dirt imported laid occasion great expense city corner protected padded crash barrier occasion jockey ride horse bareback starting line area two rope nine horse order decided lot immediately race start enter space tenth rincorsa wait outside rincorsa finally enters space rope starter mossiere activates mechanism instantly drop canapo front rope process mossa take long time deal usually made various contrade jockey affect rincorsa moves—he may waiting particular horse well—or badlyplaced example dangerous steeply canted track rider allowed use whip italian nerbi stretched dried bull hide horse also disturbing horse rider palio fact horse represents contrada jockey winner first horse cross finish line—a horse win without rider condition known cavallo scosso horse also win without decorative headgear spennacchiera although opposite belief widely held even among sienese loser race considered contrada whose horse came second last winner awarded banner painted silk palio handpainted different artist race enthusiasm victory however extreme ceremony attribution palio quite instantaneous first moment monthslong celebration winning ward occasional outbreak violence partisan rival contrade may danger spectator sheer number people attendance also complaint mistreatment horse injury even death especially animalrights association even veterinarian palio held august horse contrada bruco caterpillar fell badly trampled race stopped despite possible additional safety risk horse horse died injury raising complaint animalrights organization palio differs normal horse race part game ward prevent rival contrade winning contrada fails win historical enemy celebrate fact nearly merrily victory regardless whether adversarial interference deciding factor thing forbidden jockey race instance pull shove fellow hit horse try hamper horse start successful ward oca goose race least according record start followed chiocciola snail tartuca tortoise oca also contrada win recent history victory followed selva forest drago dragon among jockey victorious time andrea degortes nicknamed aceto vinegar win angelo meloni nicknamed picino active second number win success luigi bruschelli nicknamed trecciolino still active third win although claim victory horse without one year successful horse folco panezio eight win followed topolone seven recent history present three ward succeeded winning july august race single year term italian fare cappotto jockey tartuca tortoise accomplished feat jockey fernando leoni nicknamed ganascia folco giraffa giraffe race jockey giuseppe pe nicknamed il pesse jockey jonatan bartoletti mount preziosa penelope july august race lupa shewolf palio di siena simple horse race culmination ongoing rivalry competition contrade leadup day race invested passion pride formal informal ritual take place day proceeds contrada navigating strategy horsemanship alliance animosity final clandestine meeting among head contrade jockey twohour pageant corteo storico crowned race take second complete although great public spectacle passion displayed still real contrada longest without victory nicknamed nonna grandmother civetta owlet title august race torre tower title without victory year bruco caterpillar held title winning year last nonna lupa shewolf victory since july period – year july finally leaving nonna title aquila eagle drappellone banner palio known affectionately cencio rag siena trophy delivered contrada win palio palio elongated rectangular piece silk handpainted artist occasion held vertically blackandwhite shaft halberd topped silver plate two white black plume draped side palio along plume remains property contrada plate returned city siena two palii following year date name victorious contrada inscribed back one silver platter palio july another august palio plate replaced approximately every ten year value banner unique represents particular historical period city siena palii often reflect symbol various government presided various time including crest grand duchy lorraine crest grand duke tuscany crest kingdom sardinia symbol fascist italy recently imagery republic process artist follow designing palio rigid must follow precise iconography includes sacred symbol july palio dedicated madonna provenzano august madonna assumption must present insignia city third part city symbol color ten contrade participating race however limit regarding style art palio first presented press conference courtyard podestà city hall week race although many activity take place within contrada organization palio still largest since two race year time festival run four day event preparation last year beginning early winter contrada leader talk develop strategy making contact jockey horse owner leader prepare race piazza del campo take part minor palios elsewhere nearby town la cosiddetta provincia bring training course organized city spring full activity palio start grow momentum towards end may drawing lot three remaining contrade join seven right race district team outlined contrade begin talk deal engagement jockey party secret pact win despite knowing horse draw lot week race palio drappellone presented city commissioned local artist case palio july internationally recognized artist case palio august special palio create prize also time visit occur horse presented lottery first four day festival lottery held select barbero term racehorse city siena tuscany go contrada stone race track around square covered layer dirt composed mixture tuff clay sand six trial run rider opportunity familiarize horse track sound rhythm race trial prova held evening horse lottery twice daily next two day attended many tourist contrada member square barrier mounted outside track people may move race child contrade assembled bleacher sing closest city hall trial adult sit race day child longer allowed stand middle piazza race view bleacher window among event mark approach palio rehearsal dinner mass jockey blessing horse jockey extraordinary palio third palio may take place period may september associated event anniversary major importance community siena recent extraordinary palio held extraordinary palio september coincided advent new millennium selva forest jockey giuseppe pe riding horse urban ii prior last extraordinary palio held september celebrate centenary abolition balia biccherna government earlier time third palio way honor distinguished guest passing visiting siena example extraordinary palio june visit siena wife prince agostino chigi june considered official honouring visit siena cardinal flavio chigi even grand duke tuscany requested another round palio perhaps closer ordinary second half th century extraordinary palios began organized celebration special event rather illustrious visit case meeting society science inauguration important monument inauguration monument fallen battle curtatone montanara may even ran four palios ordinary two extraordinary first extraordinary race august considered extraordinary requested citizen original race moved august due transfer sienas viii corp second september inauguration monument giuseppe garibaldi third palio palio peace held popular acclaim celebrate end world war ii gioacchino calabro riding rubacuori su folco contrada drago dragon extraordinary palio held commemorate landing moon apollo mission habit running extraordinary palios mark important centenary emerged palio held may celebrate five hundredth anniversary canonization saint bernardine siena june extraordinary palio marked centenary unification recent centenary palio held october commemorated ending first world war several year palio focus numerous protest animalrights organization including antivivisection league concern include primarily race incident causing fall case led horse death concern resulted italy tourism minister blocking palio nominated listing unesco intangible cultural heritage list result calculation percentage accident caused palio vary depending make according antivivisection league total horse died average one dead horse per year however calculation carried supporter palio period include test held real race give rate fatal accident per ride many rule governing protection animal developed implemented since supporter palio stress injury drastically reduced since recent decade city siena adopted series measure ensure protection horse rider race measure still judged insufficient animal welfare group continue seek abolition race among measure taken include compulsory health check held commission appointed city council consisting two surgeon serum chemistry analysis introduced may order confirm verify always required rule prohibition administration substance stimulant depressant local anesthetic approval protocol provision incentive maintenance palio horse establishment register horse trained run register farmer introduced instead half blood arabian horse deemed physically fit travel register barrier building track town mociano identical shape slope piazza del campo march june addition monticiano monteroni darbia horse intended palio train protection formerly known materassoni present curve st martin june set barrier protection high absorption pvc raising parapet house curve shirt introduction safety emergency personnel intervention composition method implementation monitoring layer tuff care horse longer run palio due age injury equestrian center state forestry caggio town radicondoli alcohol test jockey order secretary health francesca martini race seen palio alessandro blasetti la ragazza del palio luigi zampa bianco rosso celeste – cronaca dei giorni del palio di siena luciano emmer wind rise first episode miniseries wind war abc miniseries directed dan curtis il bianco e il nero – tutti colori del palio di siena anton giulio onofri last victory john appel visioni di palio anton giulio onofri piazza delle cinque lune renzo martinelli quantum solace nd james bond movie directed marc forster palio cosima spender john hunt ansano ansanello giovannelli list jockey palio di siena article wikipedia italian bravio delle botti montepulciano girl rode wind stacy gregg featuring palio palio peace also modern racing palio archived september wayback machine english definitive english language site palio di siena related information archive palio di siena italian italian archive site includes access short contemporary film palio subsequent year archive palio di siena ii english history race italian english wwwpaliobe dutch wwwthepalioeu english siena map english survive day palio spectator english