We will be in Tuscany when the Palio "happens" in Sienna. Our son thinks it would be great to go, but we have doubts...too crowded, parking?, etc. My husband and I have been to Sienna twice and think it would be impossible to park and enjoy the town. Any comments would be appreciated! Sasi

Yes, I have, but I bought expensive tickets in advance and had use of a friend's parking spot, so I didn't have to overcome some of the logistics you'll have to. And they are SOME logistics! You'll need to get there very, very early to get a seat, or even a spot in the center of the campo, and to find a parking place (several hours before the race), and you'll need to have plenty of water, assuming the day is frightfully sunny and hot, which it's likely to be. Make sure to eat and keep yourself hydrated (when we were there medics were constantly hauling people who had fainted or had heat exhaution out of the crowds). Be prepared for crushing crowds when the race is over...think stampede. We absolutely loved it, but as I said, we had somewhat privileged positions for viewing. (PS, it's Siena). I think you should go, but you do need a bit of a bravery element.

If you'd like to catch some of the flavor of the Palio without the madness, they have trial races in the Campo a day or two before the race. You don't get all the pageantry, but you do get a feel for what the race is like, plus you can get close enough to the rail to actually see the horses run, which won't be possible if you go for the race itself. If you are wandering the town during this period, you may also stumble onto some small ceremonies. I caught a procession with drummers, flagmen, and cute little girls all in costume marching to a church for a blessing. Follow the sound of drums!

Yes!
We were there last July and it was incredible!
I think you should definitely try it. It was truly memorable.
Below is the excerpt from my trip report. I hope you find it helpful...

The Palio, July 2, 2008

We had been in Tuscany during the Palio before, but never had the financial means to buy tickets for four or the guts to just “show up”. Well, this year, still not enough money, but we did find the guts to just show up.

So after renting a car in Florence, we drove into Siena with our fingers crossed at about 2 in the afternoon. There was no traffic at all into the city. We pulled into a parking lot, drove about 20 feet, and found a parking spot. Wow! that seemed too easy.

We then walked into the town (about 10 minutes max). The buildings were decorated with contrada flags, but the streets were surprisingly quiet. Did we have the wrong day?

Upon entering Il Campo, the main piazza, we saw the track, barricades, and bleachers set up. Someone had recommended staking out a spot along one of the “spoke streets” that go downhill towards the Campo, which we did. The boys hung out for about an hour, while us girls went to see the History of the Palio documentary in a little theater (very good!) and browsed through the shops and town. We then switched with the boys, but found out we would not be able to stay in our staked out spot because it was be closed off.

So at about 3:30, we moved into the center. We were able to get a spot near the rail, in the shade, at the finish line. It really wasn’t that bad. I sat down and had my book to read, and the others made friends and chatted with some American college kids.

At 5:00, things started to change drastically. Mainly, no more sitting and a lot more people. People were squeezing/pushing in and things were getting tight. Imagine an elevator with the maximum amount of people in it, and this is how were standing at this point, with 2 hours to go before race time (or so we thought).

Eventually the parade of contradas began at about 6. We were thrilled for some distraction -- each contrada in Renaissance costume parading by, twirling flags in the air, etc. Fantastic. Well, there were 13 contradas, and frankly, even I was getting bored after a while.

And oh how we envied those people sitting in the bleachers and balconies, who were just now showing up!

By 6:30, imagine being in an elevator with three times the maximum people in it. That’s how crowded we were. We had been standing around the same people for hours now, and we were all very friendly and on good terms. Every once in a while, a pushy obnoxious person would come by trying to get to the rail. Are you kidding?? We’ve been standing here for hours! We’re talking some serious pushing and pushing back.

There was also the fainting. Several people were carried out on stretchers, and we only saw the people fainting in the SHADE. Can’t imagine what was going on with those poor people stuck out in the sun!

Yes, this whole drama may sound miserable, but for some strange reason, it was actually spectacularly fun. Our kids did not complain once, and my husband was smiling ear to ear the entire time.

So at 7, we found out that race actually starts at 7:30.
At 7:30, there were about 30 minutes of false starts.

And then at 8, it finally began. The excitement was unreal. As the horses started their final lap, fans went crazy and started to try to leap over people to get over the rail onto the track. (There are no rules, here, remember.) We had to stand our ground and hold on tight, since we were at the rail. In fact, we had to do this for 2 or 3 minutes after the race was over until the fanatics got through, and then we could walk out easily.

Wow! After the race we all felt exhilarated! People were celebrating, flags were waving, bands were playing. (I'm surprised there were no fireworks, but I guess that wouldn't have gone with the Renaissance tradition) Words really can't describe what it felt like to be there at this moment.

(And, of course, we had been liberated from the center. I was thinking at the time that that also added a lot to the feeling of exhilaration.)

We were in our car by 8:30 heading to Montalcino. By 9:30, we had checked into our hotel and were seated in a restaurant for another great meal.

This was truly a fantastic day. We were all thrilled and smiling for hours.

Thanks Dina4 for the info, it helps alot. Since I am unable to walk alot (knee problems), I have decided it's not for me! So, if our son and wife want to go, great. This forum certainly helps with decision making! Sasi

Hi Sasi,

I was also there last July and I have to say, it was truly one of the BEST travel experiences I've ever had---period! I can not recommend it enough. One of the things that makes it so special, it really does feel like a non-touristy event. That's not to say there are no tourists but, they certainly are not the majority. A lot of the locals take this event very seriously and I get the sense they don't really want a lot of tourists coming. That's probably why the tickets are so pricey. ;-)

We purchased our seats through the hotel (Grand Continental Siena) and we had the most amazing seats directly facing the start and finish line. The seating is SO cramped. You literally can not move---the seating is THAT tight. The good thing about seating at the finish line, it's in the shade so even though it's hot and you're packed in like sardines, it's not quite as bad as being in the Campo.



If you can't sit or stand for long periods of time, it would imagine that this would be a difficult even to attend.

And I'm assuming that once in position it is impossible to take a 'comfort break'?

That would really worry me, so much so that I'd need to go just because I was worried I wouldn't be able to!

I'll be there the week after this July's race. Probably just as well given my weak(ish) bladder LOL!!!

People should also be aware that the Palio is much-criticized for the high injury rate and death rate the horses can suffer, even though the race is brief. Some years there are no accidents, but often there are, so if animal suffering bothers you (it, sadly, doesn't bother everybody) you might decide on other ways to amuse yourself on vacation.

Julia,

If you're in the Campo you probably can't move too much because it's all roped off after a certain point. Also, if you did leave to take a potty break, you'd lose your spot. It's very competitive for the "good spots".

If you're in the stands like we were, we could probably move up until about 1 hour before the race. There are also spots on balconys and in windows. People who live in apartments/homes that overlook the Campo often rent out their balcony or window for large quantities of money during the Palio. The advantage, you have access to a bathroom. However, the concierge at our hotel advised us not to get these tickets because supposedly there's a limit as to how many people are going to be allowed in the persons home. Let's say 6 is the max for example. He told us he's purchased these tix for clients and after the race they'd come back to the hotel telling him that instead of 6 people, they ended up having 15 or more! In the end there were lots of unhappy clients because they didn't get the view they were promised after spending all that money. I guess the homeowners want to make as much $$ as they can so they allow more people even though they're technically not supposed to.

Interesting comment that of the Hotel Continental... Especially because it's them putting too many people in some of their windows and, mostly, being -by REAL far- the most expensive "providers" on the square (but it's also true that most concierges in Siena don't even know when the Palio is run or who is running...) I don't like to hear about all these "negative" experiences at the Palio, especially when it doesn't take much to ease or avoid them and offer a memorable experience to the visitors. For appropriate information and assistance about the Palio and Palio viewing opportunities please see www.jacopodellatorre.com, at least the guy there is really passionate and is a real insider.

i was there in the free space at the Campo last July and dina4 report is very accurate. I and my 14 year old daughter were in the sunny side. The only annoyance came from some local teens trying to push us out the rails. Since I can speak some italian I was kind of tough with them and we come into terms.
But I have to tell it's a once in a lifetime experience. I won't do it again!

I have been there twice (one in the sun in the center and once in pricey "bleacher seats" in the sun. What I would have given to have been in the shade! It was such a memorable experience and I'm very glad to have done it (the second time was with my kids who loved it.) However, it is good to know what to expect as I could see how someone who wasn't prepared for what was well described here by dina4 and ILUVPARIS might be miserable. Fortunately, when I was there no horses seemed to be hurt.

What I particularly enjoyed was knowing that this is not an event for tourists. It is an event very dear to the people of Siena and I would say the presence of tourists is "tolerated" but not particularly encouraged.

If you want to go the day of the race, I would suggest spending the night before and the night of the race at a hotel in Siena if you need parking. If you want to skip the craziness of the actual race there are preliminary races for several days before the actual race which are fun to watch and give a good flavor of the event. Also, in the days before the race colorful flags and decorations line the streets and there are parades through the old city.

I'd love to go back and see the Palio again someday, but in the shade!