Palio di Siena: the 2nd of July, an appointment with Contrade’s Palio
Posted on 09. Jun, 2010 by admin in Archive, Culture, Events
To apply the general definition of other popular Tuscan festivals to the Palio di Siena is impossible. The Palio takes place twice a year — on the 2 July and the 16 August — but the inhabitants of Siena inhabitants who still live in the city or even those who live far from it, experience the intense atmosphere of the Palio all year round.
The Palio is for Siena like a perfume which is part of childhood; a scent of which one never tires and of which people from Siena cannot do without. The contradaioli, or the inhabitants of the various districts into which Siena is divided, know that those three circuits round the tuff-stone Piazza del Campo embody a year’s hopes and expectations which are consumed in less than two minutes. The city becomes the city of its inhabitants, the contradaioli; every flag-bedecked and square and narrow street is crowded with people who abandon themselves to their feelings which even seem excessive if seen by an outsider. Emotions range from anger to extreme delight, from resentment to unrestrained joy, desperation to tears of happiness. In this outpour of emotions, some contradaioli see their own colours triumph and are united with them while many others will have to wait for the next run to wait for their chance of victory. In the past, horse racing was part of the culture of many Italian cities but nowhere more than Siena does time seem to have come to a standstill. Today the spirit of the contrada is very much alive and it is thanks to the vital energy of the inhabitants of Siena that this spectacular event — one of the few which still receives full television coverage — still thrives and would continue to do so even without the attention of the media and television.
The mingling of the histories of the Palio di Siena and the contrade is relatively recent. Indeed, the city of Siena was born from the union of a series of built-up neighbourhoods which, after the building of the Town Hall, still retained a certain degree of administrative autonomy. In those times gentleman and military figures competed among themselves to celebrate the offering of votive candles during the feast of the Assumption in August; a sumptuous celebration to which sovereigns, popes and other high-ranking personages would participate. The inhabitants of the contrade would concede themselves less noble diversions such as boxing, veritable battles between concurring factions or bull-fighting. It was the contrade, in 1656, that organises and consolidated the present-day Palio alla tonda to be run with horses in July in honour of the miraculous Madonna di Provenzano, a historical event which took place on the 2 July 1594. The story tells of little statue of the Virgin in a tabernacle in the contrada bearing the name of Capitan Provenzano Salvani, who had previously led the Sienese to victory. On that day, one of the guards of the medieval garrison — perhaps under the influence of drink — shot at the statue with his archebus. The statue was damaged but the fatal weapon exploded in the hands of the blasphemer killing him on the spot. This occurrence was interpreted as a sign of devotion to the Virgin by the city. The contrade thus started to pay homage to the effigy of the Virgin and their devotion also received the blessing of the Papal authorities. In 1611 a large church was consecrated on the place where this event took place and 46 years later, the first Palio alla tonda was held in memory of the occasion, namely – the Palio delle contrade.
The second Palio, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin was (and still is) held on the 16 August and until the last century, ran its long and disputed route both inside and outside the walls of the city but could not be followed by the inhabitants. For this reason, one of the races which ended in the tonda or main square took precedence and still today is run on the 16 August on the day dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. It must be noted that during the centuries, a number of extraordinary Palios have been organised — little loved by the Sienese who are rigid in their immutable traditions — such as that of September 1684 to celebrate the victory of the Imperial troupes against the Turks in Austria and in 1969 to celebrate the landing on the moon. The occasions in which the Palio has not been held are even less: only events of war, natural calamity or epidemics have prevented the inhabitants of Siena from celebrating this tradition.
A further important moment in the history of Siena and its contrade was the legal recognition in 1729 by Violante Beatrice di Baviera (wife of the “Grand Duke” Ferdinando de’ Medici, the eldest son of Cosimo VI) who governed Siena and proclaimed the total number of contrade to be 17 and who also established the boundaries of each. From here we have the colours: Aquila-Eagle (symbol: two headed eagle with crown; colours: yellow with black and blue stripes), Chiocciola-Snail (snail; red and yellow with blue stripes), Onda-Wave (dolphin with crown; blue and white), Pantera-Panther (rampant crowned panther; red and blue with white stripes), Selva (rhinoceros under an oak-tree; green and orange with white stripes) and Tartuca (tortoise; blue and yellow); in the Terzo di San Martino: Civetta-Owl (crowned owl; red and black with which stripes), Leocorno-Unicorn (rampant unicorn; orange and which with blue stripes), Nicchio-Shell (crowned shell; blue with red and yellow stripes), Torre-Tower (tower on the back of a crowned elephant; ruby red with blue and white stripes), Valdimontone (crowned and rampant ram; red and yellow with white stripes); Bruco-Silkworm (crowned silkworm; yellow and green with blue stripes), Drago-Dragon (open-winged and crowned dragon; red and green with yellow stripes), Giraffa-Giraffe (a Moor with a giraffe on a leash; white and red), Istrice-Porcupine (crowned porcupine; red, blue and black on a white background), Lupa-Wolf (crowned wolf suckling twins; black and white with orange stripes) and Oca-Goose (crowned goose; white and green with red stripes). Each of these contrada is small part of the whole urban tapestry of Siena representing an autonomous neighbourhood which has always existed, continuing its way of life with the greatest degree of liberty and individuality. Indeed, at one time they were even more contrada but through time, six have perished to be absorbed into the confining contrade.
Amongst the still surviving contrade, some are defined as Noble (Aquila, Bruco, Nicchio e Oca), one Imperial (Giraffa) and between the others there is an irresolvable and heated rivalry such as that between Oca and Torre.
One belongs to a Contrade for life and many of Siena’s social occasions are organised in one’s own contrada, even if spectators of the Palio see Siena as triumphant. The spectacular manifestation represented by the Palio is considered the epitome of Siena’s history. There is also a rigid calendar around the Palio: at the beginning of December each year on the Feast of Saint Ansano, the yearly season of the contrade is initiated with a religious ceremony. On the last Sunday of May and the second Sunday of July, draws are cast between the contrade which ran in the previous edition to choose the three contrade which will join the seven who participate by right in the two events: the 2 July – the Palio delle Contrade and the 16 August, the Palio dell‘Assunta.
