And They’re Off!
If you’re staying in Florence, you can’t miss a visit to the town of Siena, just an hour from Florence by train. If you’re a betting man, a good excuse to make the trek is the Palio Horse Race.
On Wednesday July 2nd, in Piazza del Campo you’ll find locals and tourists alike here to watch the race, one of the most popular events during the year for anyone in Tuscany. Nearly 50,000 people fill up the piazza to watch the big show and join the excitement of this traditional spectacle, which started back in the middle ages.
When the Grand Duke of Tuscany outlawed bullfighting in 1590, the Contrade took to organizing races in the Piazza del Campo. The first such races were on buffalo-back and called bufalate; asinate, races on donkey-back, later took their place, while horse-racing continued elsewhere. The first modern Palio (called palio alla tonda to distinguish it from the earlier palii alla lunga) took place around 1650. The race takes its name "Palio" from the Italian word which means "banner". This banner, or Palio, is the prize given to the winning Contrada of the race.
Ever hear of blessing a horse? That’s right, in the morning each horse is led into the contrada church to be blessed. After this is done, the city comes alive!
The 3-hour race followed by amazing food, entertainment and festivities is not to miss if you are in the area.