The Palio is not an event that has been resurrected and organised for touristic purposes. It represents the life of the people of Siena over the centuries with all its various aspects and feelings.
It has remote origins with some rules that have been in force since 1644, the year of the first horse race. The City itself is divided into seventeen Contrade (districts), with boundaries that were established in 1729 by the Proclamation of Violante of Bavaria, the Governor of the City.
Each Contrada is like a small state, governed by a Seggio (council) headed by the Prior and led these days by a Captain, assisted by two or three Contrada members. A Contrada also has a church with an annex where its patrimony is stored: relics, the drappelloni victory banners, costumes for the parades, flags, the archive and everything else concerning the life of the Contrada itself.
The intensive four day period of preparations for the Palio starts on the morning of June 29 for the Palio in July and on the morning of August 13 for the Palio in August.
The festivities begin immediately: the members of the Contrada receive the Palio banner, they take it to the Basilica of Provenzano (for the July Palio) or to the Cathedral (in August) and sing the Te Deum in thanksgiving.
From this moment on every opportunity is a good one for reminding the city of the victories gained on the field, up until autumn, when, between September and early October, in the victorious Contrada adorned with decorations, the “dinner of the victors” takes place attended by thousands and, in the place of honour, the winning horse, a veritable hero.
Rif. www.ilpalio.org
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