Palio Tips!
 

We may attempt Palio on July 2 (we can't go earlier as we are just arriving) and it seems as if the threads all indicate that you will stand for hours in the hot sun (bring water and cardboard to sit on) and will be squeezed amongst a thousand sweaty spectators. So here are my questions -

I know a lot of people say it is worth it - seems as if the best vantage points are the "spoke" streets off the campo due to their incline or getting there early and hanging out at the rail. Is there any other options if this is the only day I can go?

If I want the pagentry but don't care about the 2 minute race is this still doable or is the city just an absolute mad house?

Thanks!

A Palio is normally held in July and August. In September 2000 Siena held a special one to honor the bicentennial. By sheer luck we were in town and attended it.

We were in our mid 60's. There was no way we could obtain seats in the houses around the square as they all went to VIPs. Their cost was $250+. We decided to stand in the square. We did from 1 p.m. till the 7 p.m. race. We had water and sat on our sweaters, though cardboard would be better.

The highlight of the day was the two hour parade of the contradas in their medieval garb, the flag twirling, etc. It was magnificent. The marchers do not camp it up. They remain serious. The Mayor of Siena was quoted as saying this pageant was not a tourist event and would be held if no one came.

The race itself is out of the Marx Brothers. Jockeys beat each other over the heads with their whips. etc. Several jockeys were carted off by ambulance.

I will be 70 next month and would do it all over again even if I could not eke out the $500 tab for ringside seats for my wife and me.

Anthony

I'm not sure how much you'll see from the supposed inclined streets...you'd be better off in one of the vantage points which definitely overlooks that mass of people who will be "crowding the rail."

I think Anthony has described things pretty well from my own experience.

My only real "tip" for you is to remind you that the race itself usually lasts a total of 2-2.5 minutes.

I was there 20 years ago and I'll be there again this coming July 2. Ihad seats the first time and I have seats this time. Thre will be more than 50,000 people crammed into the center of the campo, and another 10,000 or so floating around in every square inch of airspace that surrounds it.

If you do decide to go, get there early, stake out a spot, and plan to stay there for hours and hours.

Yes, it's a zoo. It's also one of the most memorable days of my life and I can't wait to go again.

Just to remind everyone coming to Italy that Asti's Palio held on the 3rd Sunday of September is older then Sienna's (actually the oldest recorded Palio in Italy) and is the culimination of a 10 day festival commencing with the Sagre food festival (the world's largest outdoor restaurant)on the Campo del Palio the weekend before, the Douja d'Or wine exposition and the Palio di Sbandieratore (flag throwers, the ones you saw at the winter Olympic opening and closing ceremonies). There is a medieval parade representing all the Borghi and wards of the city and surrounding cities (Asti was a republic long before Florence and Sienna) through the old city with its medieval towers before the Palio. The race consists of 3 heats and the final, the actual races are only a few minutes, but each heat takes ages to get going with all the false starts, and the whole event lasts about 3 hours, incuding the flag throwing exhibitions in-between heats. And the most expensive tickets are less then 100 euro.

Oops! That should have been 100,000, not 10,000. A mere 10,000 would be nothing on Palio day.

Where are the "vantage points"?

ttt

There aren't any real vantage points if you don't have a paid-for seat. There are spoke streets/alleys that lead out and up from the campo, but the incline isn't so great that you'll be able to see much unless you're really tall.

Fact is: you'll probably not actually see the race unless you get there at 3 am the night before and stake out a spot. And it all goes by in the blink of an eye - after an insane number of false starts...

If the pagentry is what interests you most, be sure NOT to miss the scarves sold in all the local "tabac" (newspaper, tobacco) shops of Siena. There is one scarf (with its symbols/motto/logo for each of the rival neighborhoods/teams. All are colorful and make great (and affordable) souvenirs for you and gifts for folks at home.

It is difficult to find a place to see the race as these are booked up way in advance, La Tratta is ideal opportunity to feel the atmosphere during the days before the event and see one of the practice runs.

http://www.tuscanweb.com/news/?ID=195

http://www.tuscanweb.com/news/?ID=208

I just found some last minute tickets advertised for balcony windows over the palio. No price indicated but I'm sure it will be very high. www.siena-info.net