Palio di Siena - Eyevine

The culmination of the Palio di Siena is a 90-second horse race, held twice a year. But for Sienese, it is so much more than that: it is an embodiment of civic pride that has been held since 1644. The Palio di Siena (known locally simply as Il Palio) is a horse race that is held twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards. A pageant, the Corteo Storico, precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world. The race itself, in which the jockeys ride bareback, circles the Piazza del Campo, on which a thick layer of dirt has been laid. The race is run for three laps of the piazza and usually lasts no more than 90 seconds. It is common for a few of the jockeys to be thrown off their horses while making the treacherous turns in the piazza, and indeed, it is not unusual to see unmounted horses finishing the race without their jockeys. Only 10 of the 17 wards can race in the Palio. The tratta happens four days before the race to match the horses with the ten contrade. Forty horses are tested in a run around the Campo, only 10 of which will be picked by the contrade captains. After a lottery, the 10 selected horses are given to the contrade. ? Christian Sinibaldi / eyevine