Palio di Siena: What Happens Before the Race

The Palio di Siena is one of Italy’s most famous and widely celebrated events. It is a horse race that has been held for centuries, but describing it simply as a horse race would be reductive. The Palio is a ritual, a system of values, a way of experiencing the city that involves every Sienese from birth and that, in the four days leading up to the race, becomes visible, tangible and almost physical for anyone in Siena.

The Palio of July 2nd, dedicated to the Madonna of Provenzano, is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year. The week leading up to it is among the most intense in the city’s entire calendar. Those who arrive in Siena during these days have the opportunity to experience something truly rare: not a spectacle created for visitors, but a city expressing itself through its authenticity, pride and beauty.
To fully appreciate it, however, it is important to approach it with respect and preparation. 

The Palio has its own timing, rhythms and unwritten rules. Understanding them beforehand makes all the difference between simply watching something and truly understanding it.

For this reason, the staff at Hotel Athena, located in the heart of Siena’s historic centre, is available to help guests from the very beginning: providing information on the trial races, key moments not to be missed, areas to explore and practical advice for experiencing the city with greater awareness. Because the Palio, when experienced with attention and understanding, is something that stays with you.

On June 29th, Siena holds the Tratta, the ceremony during which horses are assigned to the ten Contrade competing in the Palio.

Out of Siena’s seventeen Contrade, ten participate each year: seven by right and three selected by lottery. The horses chosen for the race are then assigned by draw, and the result can completely change a Contrada’s expectations.

It is a moment of intense emotion, because the horse a Contrada receives can determine the outcome of the race. After the Tratta, the horse officially becomes part of Contrada life. It is entrusted to the barbaresco, the person responsible for caring for it until race day, and from that moment the entire district gathers around its colours.

For anyone walking through Siena during these hours, the atmosphere already feels different. Contrada headquarters come alive, groups gather in the streets and conversations become more intense.

Siena has already stopped being its everyday self.

On the evening of June 29th and throughout the following two days, the trial races take place in Piazza del Campo.
Every morning and evening, jockeys ride their horses on the famous tuff track while the Contrade observe, analyse and interpret every detail.

The trial races are open to everyone and represent one of the best ways to understand the Palio in its most practical and authentic dimension.

Yet the most genuine experience of these days is not limited to Piazza del Campo. The Contrade are living communities, with their own headquarters, churches, streets and traditions that make them immediately recognisable within the urban fabric of Siena. During the days leading up to the Palio, this identity becomes even more visible.

Colours appear everywhere, flags mark the boundaries between districts and residents move through the city with a strong sense of belonging that is impossible not to notice.
Walking through Siena during these days means stepping into a unique system of collective emotions unlike anything else.

In the evenings, the Contrade gather together around long communal tables set up in the streets and squares of their districts. Hundreds of residents share meals, hopes and anticipation. While it is not easy for visitors to take part directly, simply walking through the neighbourhoods, listening to the songs and conversations and observing the faces of the people is already an unforgettable experience.

July 2nd is race day. In the afternoon, the magnificent Historic Parade takes place. Hundreds of participants dressed in medieval costumes march through the city and enter Piazza del Campo, representing the institutions of the ancient Republic of Siena.

It is an extraordinary spectacle that precedes the race by almost an hour and is worth the journey on its own.

Then comes the race itself. The Palio di Siena lasts about ninety seconds. Yet within those ninety seconds lies an entire year of preparation, months of strategies, rivalries and alliances between the Contrade, and the hopes of generations of Sienese people. Winning the Palio means something far beyond a sporting result. It is a matter of identity, history and deep emotion.
For members of the winning Contrada, that moment can become one of the most significant memories of their lives.

For visitors, understanding all this does not happen immediately. But it does come. It comes if you allow the city to guide you and if you have taken the time to experience Siena before the race, understanding who the Contrade are, what they represent and why a flag or a colour can move an adult to tears of joy or sorrow.

Located in the heart of Siena’s historic centre, Hotel Athena is the ideal base for experiencing the days of the Palio in depth.

Its position within the city walls allows guests to explore entirely on foot, following the rhythm of the city without worrying about transportation. The Contrade are easy to reach, Piazza del Campo is just a short walk away and the slower pace required during these days becomes completely natural.

Our staff is available to suggest routes, recommend the best areas to explore at different times of the day, explain the complex geography of Siena’s Contrade and help guests experience the Palio in the most authentic way possible.

Because the Palio, when experienced up close and with the right perspective, is something that stays with you for a very long time.