Italy's live events calendar is one of the richest in Europe — Venice Carnival is the world's most glamorous masked festival, the Palio di Siena is the world's most dramatic horse race, the Verona Opera Festival performs in a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre, and the Florence Calcio Storico is a medieval football tournament of extraordinary violence and spectacle.
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Palio di Siena
The world's most dramatic horse race — 90 seconds of chaos in a medieval piazza
The Palio di Siena is one of the world's most extraordinary sporting events — a bareback horse race held twice a year (2 July and 16 August) in the Piazza del Campo in Siena, the most beautiful medieval square in Italy. Ten of Siena's 17 contrade (city districts) compete in each race, with jockeys riding bareback around the shell-shaped piazza three times in approximately 90 seconds. The race is preceded by a magnificent medieval pageant — the Corteo Storico — in which representatives of each contrada parade in 15th-century costumes. The passion, rivalry, and extraordinary atmosphere of the Palio — with 50,000 spectators packed into the piazza — make it one of the most intense sporting events in the world.
Event Highlights
- The world's most dramatic horse race — 90 seconds of bareback racing
- The Piazza del Campo — the most beautiful medieval square in Italy
- The Corteo Storico — a magnificent medieval pageant preceding the race
- 50,000 spectators packed into the piazza
- Held twice a year: 2 July and 16 August
- The most intense and passionate sporting event in Europe
What to Do There
- Watch the Corteo Storico medieval pageant
- Stand in the Piazza del Campo for the race
- Visit the contrada museums
- Explore the extraordinary Siena Cathedral
- Eat in the restaurants of the contrade
Event Info
Next Event
2 July and 16 August annually
Location
Piazza del Campo, Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Duration
3 days (including trials and pageant)
Ticket Price
Standing in the piazza is free; grandstand seats from €300
Travel Tips
- ·Fly to Florence (2 hours from London) — 1.5 hours from Siena by bus
- ·Arrive the day before to watch the trial races
- ·Standing places in the piazza are free but extremely crowded — arrive by 2pm
- ·Combine with Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast for a complete Italy trip
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