Video: Lively Siena, Pre-Palio

(Central Italy was hit by a devastating earthquake last night. Aftershocks could be felt in Siena, almost 150 miles away from the earthquake’s epicenter. My crew, friends, and I are all OK. Our hearts go out to all who have been affected.)

The night before Siena’s Palio, at midnight, the streets were filled with eating, drinking, singing, and camaraderie, as neighborhoods gathered to pump each other up for the big horse race. The city is full of both locals (who live this ritual as if it’s in their DNA) and tourists (who are generally clueless and are just waiting for the race), living in parallel worlds. Your challenge is to bridge those worlds.

Siena is divided into 17 neighborhoods, or contrade. Historically, these were autonomous, competitive, and filled with rivalries. Each contrada — with its own parish church, fountain, and square — still plays an active role in the life of the city. And each is represented by a mascot (porcupine, unicorn, she-wolf, and so on) and a distinctive flag — colors worn and flown all year long, but omnipresent as the race nears.  And, tonight, each contrada has a party going on.


This is Day 93 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, Siena, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

Comments

3 Replies to “Video: Lively Siena, Pre-Palio”

  1. So glad that you and friends and family are fine. Very sad for all the lose of life and homes and businesses. Such a beautiful country with ancient history. Hard to have earthquake protection in these old old buildings. Pray for the survivors.

  2. I concur with Judy’s comment above. So very sad that this beautiful country has to cope with such loss.

    Also, thanks for the history of Siena’s neighborhoods. I never knew that, and it’s always nice to learn more and more.

  3. I was lucky enough to experience the Palio several years ago. The two weeks prior to the Palio are more exciting than the race itself. I was actually staying in an apartment in the Onda Contrada, but through pure luck I was invited to the dinner the night before the Palio in the Pantera neighborhood. It was a great experience.
    I was also there learning Italian and taking a cooking class, so my teachers explained in depth the complicated rituals. Even speaking Italian, I would have been lost without the information my teachers gave me.
    On a sadder note, one of the horses racing had to be put down after an accident. The “track” is really a loop around the main piazza, which is uneven, cobblestone and irregularly shaped, like a shell. op

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