The pallium of siena
The exciting horse race through the Palio of Siena is one of the most popular and well-known historical festivals in Italy. The contest to win the pallium is a horse race in Siena’s main fan-shaped square, Piazza del Campo or Il Campo .
Siena is divided into 17 neighborhoods, or contrade , each with a horseman. Ten contrade participate in the first race, on July 2, chosen by a draw 20 days before the race. The other seven plus three from the July race compete on August 16. The horses are assigned to the jockeys by lottery three days before the race. There are also other events around the days of the pallium, beginning on June 29 and August 13.
What is a canopy?
People often mistakenly believe that a canopy is a horse race or that the only canopy is held in Siena. In fact, there are many palio contests in Italy. The canopy itself is the banner won in the contest. Find out more with our palio definition.
Palio of Siena Race
The day of the race begins with a special mass, tests of the riders and the blessing of the horses. In the afternoon, starting around 3 pm, there is a procession through the historic center of Siena with costumed participants from each contrada and performances by flag throwers. The historical parade ends in Piazza del Campo.
Before the race, the starting lineup is decided by lottery and the horses line up behind a rope, the traditional starting gate. The race is approximately 1000 meters in total, with horses circling the track three times, taking less than two minutes. The contrada of the winning horse receives the pallium, or the flag of victory. Winning the canopy is a great honor and the race is highly competitive.
How to watch the Siena Palio race
Palio races are very crowded – you may be able to snag in a standing spot (there’s room for about 28,000), but reserved seats (33,000) are usually sold out in advance. You can see the flag spinning from various places in the city; One of the best but busiest places is the Duomo. Make sure you book a hotel well in advance – here are the best hotels in Siena.
Buy reserved tickets for Seat Palio at Select Italy .
Visiting the Tuscan hill town of Siena
Check out our Siena Travel Guide for visitor information, including what to see and do, and check out our Tuscany Transportation Map for Siena’s location and how to get there by train. For a good overview of the city’s highlights, book the half-day guided tour, Discovering the Siena Masterpieces of Select Italy .
