Siena's "Piazza
del Campo" is still used today for the well
known Palio di Siena horse race which is one of the
most famous popular Italian manifestations.
It takes place every year on July 2 and
August 16. The "Palio di Siena" is run to celebrate the
miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary
near the old houses that belonged to
Provenzano Salvani. The holy apparition was
therefore called "Madonna di Provenzano" in
whose honor the very first "Palio di Siena" was run on
August 16, 1656. The Palio di Siena was run for the
first time in 1701 in honor of the "Madonna
dell'Assunta" the patroness and Advocate of
Siena through all the tragic events since
she protected the Siena militia at the
famous battle of Monteaperti on September 4,
1260, against the Florentines.
The "Palio di Siena" is a historical secular tradition
strictly connected with the origin of the Contradas of Siena (districts into which the
town is divided). The Contradas are
spectacular agonistic institutions each
having their own government, oratory, coat
of arms, appellations, sometimes titles of
nobility, emblems and colors, official
representatives, festivities, patron Saints,
with protectors, delimited territories and
population which consist of all those people
who were born or live within the topographic
limits of the district, according to the
proclamation issued by Violante Beatrice of
Bavaria on January 7, 1730, at that time,
Governess of the town.
Originally, there were in Siena about fifty-nine "Contrade";
now only seventeen remain, ten of which take
part in the historical pageant and in the
race at each Palio di Siena (seven by right and three
drawn by lots).
Here is a list of their names, emblems and
colors grouped into "Terzi" or "Terzieri"
(third part - in older times the town was divided into
three sections called: "Terziere di Citta'",
"Terziere di San Martino" and "Terziere di
Camollia".
Siena: Terziere di Citta'
AQUILA (Eagle) a double-headed eagle with imperial symbols.
Yellow with black and blue bands. CHIOCCIOLA (Snail) a snail. Yellow and red
with blue bands. ONDA (Wave) a swimming dolphin wearing a
crown. White and blue. PANTERA (Panther) a rampant panther. Red and
blue with white bands. SELVA (Forest) a rhinoceros bearing a huge
tree hung with hunting implements. Green and
orange-yellow with white bands. TARTUCA (Tortoise) a tortoise. Yellow and
blue.
Siena: Terziere di San Martino
CIVETTA (Owl) an owl. Black
and red with white bands. LEOCORN0 (Unicorn) a unicorn. White and
orange-yellow with blue bands. NICCHIO (Shell) a seashell. Blue with yellow
and red bands. TORRE (Tower) an elephant with a tower on
its back. Dark bordeaux red with white and
blue bands. VALDIMONTONE or simply MONTONE (Ram) a
rampant ram. White and yellow with red
bands.
Siena: Terziere di Camollia
BRUCO (Caterpillar) a caterpillar. Yellow and green with blue bands. DRAGO (Dragon) a flying dragon. Red and green with yellow bands. GIRAFFA (Giraffe) a giraffe. White and red. ISTRICE (Porcupine) a porcupine. White, red, black and blue bands. LUPA (She-Wolf) the Roman She-Wolf suckling the twins. Black and white with
orange-yellow bands. OCA (Goose) a crowned goose with the cross of Savoia round its neck. White and green
with red bands.
Siena's "Contrade" first appeared in the middle
of the 15th century to celebrate certain
solemn events. They were represented by
special wooden devices shaped like animals,
such as, for instance, a giraffe, a dragon,
a porcupine, a she-wolf, a caterpillar, a
goose etc. - worked from inside by the
youngsters of the districts they
represented.
Siena's "Contrade" were called after the
animals themselves.
Very soon these associations began to
organize shows of their own, such as: bull
hunting (suppressed in 1590), buffalo races
(only until 1650), donkey races and a game
called "Giuoco delle Pugna".
In ancient times there were several games held in Siena, of which only
the Palio di Siena survives at these days.
The preparations for the parade
of the Palio di Siena are slow and methodic like a liturgical
procedure. Four days before the day of the Palio di Siena trials take place in the "Campo"
square which is turned into a race track. A
thick layer of earth is spread on the ground
and a row of mattresses is placed against
the walls at the dangerous corner of San
Martino to protect the jockeys in case they
fall.
The whole square is amazingly fit for such
manifestations because its shape is that of
a mediaeval Roman amphitheatre closed at the
base by the straight line of the Palazzo
Pubblico. Besides being semi-circular this
peculiar square is also funnel-shaped like
the theatres of the imperial age.
Eleven streets run into it, though it is extremely
difficult to perceive them from the middle
of the Siena square.
All around the track, perched
up against the walls of the houses, for the Palio di Siena seats
are arranged one behind and above the other
like bleachers. Windows, balconies and
loggias, too, are made ready for the
visitors; 33,000 seats in all, but they are
far from sufficient and are always sold out
long before the day of the performance. In
the center of the square there is room for
about 28,000 people to stand, but this is
not enough either and the roofs, the turrets
and the cornices of the old houses looking
on to the square are also crowded. There are
people everywhere, even in the most unlikely
places.
On both the appointed days every year the "Contrade"
- that is to say all the population
of Siena - compete for a prize which is but a hand
painted silk banner (pallium). Each "Contrada"
is represented by a group of young men
called "Comparsa" arranged as follows: one
drummer, two flag-bearers, with their flags,
one "Duce", two grooms, one page carrying a
flag with two pages at his sides carrying
the emblems of the "Contrada", the
race-horse called barbero with a jockey
called "barbaresco", last the jokey who is
to run the race on a parade horse called "soprallasso"
followed by a groom.
The historical parade of the Palio di Siena is a lively display of
rich medieval costumes which date back to
the time period from 1430 to 1480; their
colors are as bright as one may fancy.
The procession goes winding its way round the
"Campo" square in the following order: the
flag-bearer of the Commune on horseback
bearing the standard of Siena (the black and
white Balzana) followed by his groom, a
group of drummers, a group of trumpeters and
musicians called "musici di Palazzo" playing
the march composed for the Palio di Siena by Pietro
Formichi in 1875 on their bugles, the
Captains, the representatives of the "Podesta'"
(called podesterie), the flag-bearers with
the standards of the "Terzieri" of the town
of Siena and of the lands belonging to the Commune
called "Masse", the flag-bearers of the
Corporations of the Arts and Crafts, the
captain of the peopIe (Capitano del popolo)
on horseback and a group of flag-bearers
with the flags of the old Republic of Siena.
Next come the representatives of the "Contrade"
of Siena, called "comparse". The first ten are those
which are to run in the Palio di Siena horse race;
they are followed by a row of young pages
bearing festoons of laurel leaves and then
by the seven "Contrade" that do not run
(they have no "barbero" and no jockey).
Next comes the captain of Justice (Capitano
di Giustizia) riding a horse and then the
representatives of the seven "Contrade" that
no longer exist: Cock, Lion, Beam, Oak,
Sword, Viper. Last comes the triumphal
chariot (carroccio) drawn by huge oxen. In
the chariot are seated the four "Provveditori
di Biccherna", administrative authority who
in times of yore used to superintend public
representations, along with the oriflamme of
the Commune of Siena, the Palio di Siena to be awarded to the
victor, and a group of trumpeters.
When this magnificent pageant has slowly
gone round the square, all the
representatives go to sit on a platform
raised just for the purpose beneath the
windows of the "Palazzo Pubblico". When they
have all been seated there, they look like a
strange army after some brilliant victory,
or a train of heroes or of poets ready to
enter Paradise. As soon as everything is
quiet, the flag-bearers from all of the "Contrade"
perform together with their flags in what is
most commonly known as "gioco delle
bandiere". They throw them high up into the
air and catch them again before they touch
the ground; it is a splendid, most
decorative display of colors accompanied by
the beating of drums, the sound of bugles
and trumpets and the chimes of the big bell
on top of the "Mangia" tower; the little
bell on the chariot, known in Siena as "Martinella",
is also very busy ringing.
All of this is but a prelude, a time of
anxiety and expectation to the race of the Palio di Siena: when at last the
horses appear and the race starts, the crowd
becomes delirious. The jockeys goad their
horses round the square three times and the
people shout as if the town were about to fall.
The spirit of Siena is in the very colors
of her "Contrade" and in all the
manifestations connected with each of them.
First of all, the benediction of the horses
and jockeys, each in the church of their own
"Contrada", early in the afternoon just
before the Palio di Siena.
It is this spirit that animates the whole manifestation and
contributes such enthusiasm and pathos to the scene.
This traditional popular manifestation of the Palio di Siena lasts
four days (from June 29 to July 2 and from
August 13 to 16) and finishes in the streets
of the victorious "Contrada" where the
people celebrate the happy event in a most
joyous way. Winner pays all.
Whoever happens to be in Siena during these
exciting days can, but join in the
enthusiasm of the people for the Palio di Siena and,
of course, the final victory. Visitors, in
fact, often go roaming through the winding
streets of the ancient town sympathizing
with the "Contrada" in which they are
living; they do their best to understand the
alliances and rivalries between the
contradas and temporarily become fervent "contradaioli"
(as the inhabitants of each Contrada are
called) having much at heart the health of
the race horse and of the jockey.
AQUILA (Eagle) a double-headed eagle with imperial symbols.
Yellow with black and blue bands.
Siena's "Contrade" first appeared in the middle
of the 15th century to celebrate certain
solemn events. They were represented by
special wooden devices shaped like animals,
such as, for instance, a giraffe, a dragon,
a porcupine, a she-wolf, a caterpillar, a
goose etc. - worked from inside by the
youngsters of the districts they
represented. 
Next come the representatives of the "Contrade"
of Siena, called "comparse". The first ten are those
which are to run in the Palio di Siena horse race;
they are followed by a row of young pages
bearing festoons of laurel leaves and then
by the seven "Contrade" that do not run
(they have no "barbero" and no jockey).
All of this is but a prelude, a time of
anxiety and expectation to the race of the Palio di Siena: when at last the
horses appear and the race starts, the crowd
becomes delirious. The jockeys goad their
horses round the square three times and the
people shout as if the town were about to fall.