The night before we were to leave Florence for our stay in Siena, I picked up a copy of The Florentine News, an English language newspaper in Florence. On an inside page was an article informing that the mayor of Siena had authorized a “Palio Straordinario” for October 20 as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
The Palio is a medieval-style horserace that takes place twice each year in Siena, in July and August. Siena has 17 contradas, or districts. In medieval times they were organized for self-defense against one another; however, when they were attacked by their enemy, Florence, they banded together and fought Florence. (Siena held off the Florentines until 1555 when the Florentines enlisted the help of the Spanish and French and conquered Siena.)
The contradas now each have their own area, flag, song, museum, church and social hall. Our Sienese landlady tells us that when a child is born in the contrada, a banner goes up outside the contrada’s church announcing the birth; children and adults go to the social hall for food, drink, games and conversation. When a member of the contrada weds, representatives from the contrada come with flowers for the bride and a banner for the groom. And, when a contrada member dies, other contrada members carry his or her coffin on their shoulders to the church and cemetery.
The contradas still battle, but on the Palio track. The race is run on a track laid out on Il Campo, the main, fan-shaped square or piazza in Siena. The track has two nearly 90-degree turns; the race is three times around the track and lasts about 90–120 seconds. Jockeys ride bareback, dressed in the colors of the contrada. Because of the speed and the bareback riding, the jockeys often fall off the horse. But, no matter, because the horse can win even without a jockey if it keeps running on the track and is first to cross the finish line.
Ten contradas race in each Palio: seven who did not participate in the previous year’s Palio and then three more drawn by lots. The contradas do not select their horse or jockey. Those too are drawn by lot three days before the race. The jockey may never have ridden the horse he is drawn to ride before. The selections are made in Il Campo in a ceremony on the Wednesday before the Palio; then each contrada takes its horse to the contrada stable and there are five practice races run so the jockeys can get used to the horse and track.
Upon our arrival in Siena, I asked about tickets to the Palio Straordinario, but was told they were not available. Our Sienese landlady, Francesca, said we might be able to find tickets if we were willing to pay 400 euros or more per ticket at this late date, but even then, we might not be able to find tickets. She told us our other option was free — standing in the center of Il Campo — and she demonstrated — ramrod straight, hands and arms pinned to your sides and no seats, bathrooms, food or drink for three-and-one-half hours. We decided that was a young person’s game.
However, Francesca offered to try to get us tickets for a contrada pre-Palio dinner on Friday night. She asked if we would mind if she asked the four Americans staying in one of her other units if they would like to do that and the six of us could go together. We eagerly jumped at the opportunity.
In the meantime, we learned that the assignment of horses and jockeys would take place a couple days later at mid-afternoon. So, on the appointed day we headed to Il Campo. Throughout the town contrada flags were flying out of windows and over nearly every home and business. People were gathered at door fronts, cafes and bars, talking and singing excitedly. As we were making our way through town, a large group of people wearing colorful scarves came parading through, waving flags and banners and singing loudly and merrily. The various contradas were headed to Il Campo to learn who their jockey and horse would be for the big race. We fell in behind one group and followed them to the Campo, where we grabbed a trackside table at a restaurant and ordered lunch. During lunch we watched all the contradas march in and the Palio officials draw the names of the horses and jockeys who would compete for each contrada. The jockeys and horses then had three days to train together and get to know one another.
On Thursday Francesca informed us that she had gotten tickets for six of us to attend the Lupa (She-wolf) contrada Palio Dinner on Friday night. She explained that the Lupa were the mortal enemies of her contrada, the Istrice (Porcupine) and that we “could not imagine what it cost her, not in terms of money, but in humiliation”, to ask her cousin from the Lupa to get the tickets for her. (The Istrice was not in this Palio, and she said that dinner in her contrada would be a sad one and not good for us.)
Francesca and her husband drove the six of us to the city gate closest to the Lupa contrada and sent us on our way, saying they dared not enter. The Lupa had won three of the last four Palios and were quite the happy group. Tables were set up in the courtyard of their social center, and we had assigned seats. We bought a drink and found our assigned seats in among the more than 1000 diners.
Our group also bought silk Lupa contrada scarves to tie around our necks so that we fit in with the crowd.
Periodically (almost non-stop) different tables would start a cheer or the contrada song and everyone would join in. The only words we could pick up, and which we heartily joined with, were the very end of the song or each cheer when everyone yelled “Lu, Lu, Lupa!”
Before dinner was served the contrada leader, the chair of its Palio Committee and the jockey paraded in to songs and cheers.
The four-course meal was served on china plates — not paper — by the teenagers of the contrada, who were cheerful and seemed happy to have the task. Water and wine were freely provided at all tables.
I was seated next to a loyal Lupa woman named Laura; between her limited English, my limited Italian, and an Italian-English dictionary, we enjoyed conversation and she interpreted the (mercifully) short speeches for me. The Lupa crowd was excited because they had a chance to do something no contrada had ever done — win four Palios in two years. However, the head of the contrada concluded his speech by saying it did not matter whether they won; what mattered was that “we are all here together.”
The other four Americans, Bill and Pati from Colorado and Pati’s sister, Sue, and her mother, Helen, were a lot of fun and the six of us enjoyed our time together and sharing this truly Sienese experience. The only flaw in the evening was that mid-way through the pasta course, I got sick. It came on quite suddenly. Gary and Sue, sitting across from me looked at me at the same time and asked if I was okay, I shook my head, and Sue reached into her purse and pulled out an air-sick bag which I grabbed just in time. It was quite humiliating. I think it was excitement and the richness of the food. The antipasti had included pate, and then the pasta was cheesy risotto and tortellini with a white pork ragu sauce. But, I made it through to the end of the dinner, sticking to water and a couple bites of roasted potatoes. Gary graciously finished my main course of beef.
The big race was scheduled for 5 pm the next evening. We watched it on the local Siena TV. Of course, in typical Italian fashion, the race did not actually start at 5 pm. The horses and jockeys were called to the starting line, but a few held back. Then they would gather in small groups to talk. We understand the talk consists of various efforts to “assist” the race. For example, a jockey for one contrada will approach a jockey from another and offer to interfere with or try to stop that contrada’s “enemy” during the race — for a price. These maneuvers went on for at least 45 minutes. Gary & I had read a book before coming, available on Kindle, called Seven Seasons in Siena. It was written by a Chicago man who had a friend in Siena and decided he wanted to be part of a contrada and just kept returning every year for the race or for various contrada events to try to fit in as a local. It was a fun read, and he talked in some detail about the deal-making that goes on. Francesca confirmed that such deal-making is part of the contrada and that often contrada members will be asked to contribute additional money to help assure a deal can be made to improve their chances in the race.
The race finally got underway nearly an hour after the official start time. The race lasts about 90–120 seconds, a short three laps around the Campo and each lap includes two nearly 90-degree turns. Jockeys began falling off their horses early on; it all happened so fast, but I think at least four or five jockeys fell. Unfortunately, the Lupa horse and jockey got off to a poor start and never made a showing.
The winning contrada was Tortuga — the Tortoise. And, the horse dumped his jockey and ran to the finish rider less. The Tortuga contradi burst upon the track with tears and smiles, raised their banner and marched off, guiding their horse, to the Basilica of San Francesco to give thanks.
