Wednesday/Rāapa
We talked to Valerie, the receptionist at the hotel we are staying at, who has lived in Siena all of her life. We asked lots of questions about the Palio, the Siena horse race that we have come to see (that is much more than just a horse race), and then went to the main Piazza del Campo, where the Palio will take place on Friday. We had been to exactly this spot once before, on a family trip when Lachie was living in Italy. It was exciting to know this time we were going to actually see the Palio.
This below is in the Palazzo Salimbeni. (From Wikipedia) "a Gothic style urban palace located on the Piazza Salimbeni. This building is associated with an ancient mercantile family of Siena, and currently houses the main offices of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the oldest banks in the world." It also has the 17 Contrada flags on it, and it is just along from our hotel.
Then we went back to the hotel and read up on the Palio and watched lots of YouTube clips of it. After the first day of all this I got "Maybe the only possibility is to let it run in one's blood and live it with one's heart. This is like "Ko au te Palio, Ko te Palio ko au. I am the Palio and the Palio is me." I am going to try that.
The Palio evolved from the 14th century when Palio's were run "in a straight line." They were commonplace and run without a jockey. The race finished at the Duomo (the main cathedral). The winner received a "Pallium", a piece of expensive cloth, which eventually gave rise to the "Palio". This is what the contrade (districts, or like suburbs in Siena) race for.
Here is the Duomo where they raced to. Now it is the first place the winning contrade goes to after the August race. (There is a July race too - they go to a different church.) It is also where the contrada go to get the Archbishop's approval before the race.
More history from Wikipedia: "Then after line races the earliest known antecedents of the race are medieval. The town's central piazza was the site of public games, largely combative: pugna, a sort of many-sided boxing match or brawl; jousting; and in the 16th century, bullfights. Public races organized by the contrade/suburb were popular from the 14th century on. When the Grand Duke of Tuscany outlawed bullfighting in 1590, the contrade took to organizing races in the Piazza del Campo. The first such races were on buffalo-back and called bufalate, while horse racing continued elsewhere. Then the first modern Palio took place in 1633."
Some say the Palio is cruel, and if you are an animal rights activist that is a valid point of view. There are often falls and collisions for the horses (and the jockeys) for sure, as well as lots of jostling of each other. We are interested to look at the Palio from a Sienese point of view. (One of those points of view is that the horses are the heroes of the event.)
Here is a clip you must watch before continuing (just the first 3 minutes, the 4th minute is just an advertisement). It gives a good introduction to the Palio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzkQC2zYmGU.
Then we went on a lovely tour with Fiorenza. She has a guiding company called Go With The Flow. We went to the Oca Museum - Oca is one of the contrada, it's symbol is The Goose. Every contrade has an animal associated with it.
The horse that won the race of the YouTube clip you just watched is from the Oca contrade. They last won the Palio in this race, and have won 63 times since racing began officially - in 1730. That is the most of any contrade.
Each contrade also way back had a particular trade. Oca's was a cloth maker. I liked this as I had a stint as a sales rep with Select Laces and I was working in fabrics. I thought if I was in any contrade in medieval times, this could have been me.
Flags and light fittings on the streets on the way to the museum of Oca with Fiorenza.
We happened to come across the horse of the Istrice contrade (porcupine), with the minder of the horse (called the barbaresco). We didn't manage to video of all the contrade men behind here chanting, but you'll get to see that from other contrade soon. This horse Oppio has won the Palio before. He is 12 years old.
We walked to where we were going to have dinner with the Goose contrade the next night - Fiorenza and me.
We walked past the Selva contrade stable (Forest, their animal is the rhino). Down here is where they keep their horse, Remorex - you'll hear more about him soon too.
Bill and I just after that with view of Siena and the Basilica of San Domenico in the background.
The chapel of Oca. The horses come to the chapels to be blessed before the race.
Oca's chapel is that of Saint Catherine. She was the 24th child of 25 children. She disobeyed her parents at 16 years and took care of the poor and sick, instead of taking a profession, she became a nun for everyone. She died at 33. The Palio is both sacred and profane.
The Museum had lots of the palios that Oca had won. An extraordinary palio (a 3rd one for the year, usually there are just two) for man going to the moon in 1969. Goose won this one.
The best Palio jockey ever - Aceto. He won 14.
What Oca jockeys (they are called fantini) wear.
What the horse wears. They don't wear a saddle.
Home for more due diligence:
Some contrada have enemy contrada. Mainly it is to do with being neighbours or something that has been with the contrada for generations. Fights can break out. If you are taking a photo of a fight they might take your camera away - so don't!
There are no rules once the race starts. Fantini can whip other jockeys in the face! There are often falls, and there are mattresses on every corner to protect horses and jockeys. Deals between captains and jockeys go on. On the starting line deals are still taking place - who knows what these are? There is a lot of money involved (maybe a million Euros altogether we were told). The jockeys are becoming the most powerful players in the race. The money is given by the people of the contrade. There is a captain assigned for the race for each contrade, who makes all the decisions. Jockeys are mercenaries. There is no second place - you only WIN. In fact second is considered the worst place to come - it is first loser. The race is 3 laps. Goose does not have a great horse this year. It's main aim is to stop it's enemy, Tower, from winning.
Then we went to a practice round of the Palio. We were in the middle and we could not see much but the atmosphere was great - there were still maybe 20,000 people there, and this was only one of six trials before the race. I think Onda won and it doesn't matter. It doesn’t mean much. It is only about who comes FIRST in the Palio. The horses and jockeys are trying things out. The back of Bill here as we walked in.
Then below, the young people of Siena all in their contrade. We were in the middle learning the contrade by colour, then animal and then name. Ten out of 17 contrade participate. They limit them to 10 for safety reasons. Seven come automatically because they did not race last time, and three are drawn. The July Palio works like this too.
Here are the Contrada's competing with the animals they have had since 1729, with the Siena Corriere commentary. (Sometimes they are referred to as their animal.) See if you can learn who is who in the photo below in the photos of the next two days.
Selva, Forest - green and orange, the Rhino. Remorex and jockey Tittia are a favorite pair. Everything revolves around them, both with the desire to assert themselves again, both of which have found a very nice feeling. They haven't come out into the open in the tests and this says a lot. Giants.
Onda, The Wave - white and light blue, Dolphin. Porto Alabe and Brigante constitute a perfect couple, both already triumphing in the Wave. The horse on paper is the number one, multi-victorious and in great shape, can count on a mount that knows well and is very close-knit. To beat.
Terre, Tower - red and blue and white, elephant. Violent from Clodia and Scompiglio, excellent feeling. They are the most awaited couple of this Palio to redeem the ko-joke of July when they lost by 36 centimeters. Force and precision of the horse, skill shown to come out of Bartoletti's canapi, are in fact among the super favorites. There is the unknown factor of Oca and Onda (Tower's enemies), however, in addition to the impetuousness of the barbero canape. Super.
Istrice - Porcupine, white background with red, black. Oppio found in Andrea Coghe a firm and at the same time balanced mount. The horse despite his age and the absence of three years from Piazza has proved to be in good shape. Fast and precise, it can count as said on the Tempesta determination. It is among the favorite couplings. Certainty.
Bruco - Caterpillar, yellow and green. Schietta and Brio at the "premiere" immediately came out on top of the ropes. They work to grow and surely have already shown a good relationship. Brio, with the stable in Via del Comune, seem to have been able to significantly improve the barbero which has given signs of great vitality. Daring.
Aquila - Eagle, yellow gold. Stefano Piras goes towards the debut. Debutant as Tottugoddu. Together they studied as adults. The horse showed a great strength of gallop and the jockey tried to file what are his unripe points also looking for harmony. Hopeful.
Pantera - Panther, red and blue. Tobacco and Trecciolino have tried very much both in the move and in the race. The horse is a toy, powerful shot at the start, it also has quality, but they don't seem to be able to compete with the first four. The conditional, however, is a must because above there is the Emperor of Piazza who has a job and a great desire to achieve victory number 14. Incognita.
Drago - Dragon, pink and green. Tornada and Ares are among the most awaited news. The jockey tried, succeeding, to bring out the best from this barbero at the Piazza debut. And the shot at the start could be a good way to do really well and surprise everyone. But it does not have the favors of the vigil. Surprise.
Chiocciola - Snail, yellow and red. One for All and Tremendo, coupled with having very little chance of winning on paper. The female barbero is at the second experience, she has a good start at the start also proved in the tests, but does not seem instead equipped with a very strong engine to apprehend the favorite couplings. Tremendous is trying to make it grow. Question.
Oca - Goose, white and green. Unidos and Siri were particularly hidden trying only something on a few occasions during the race and the move. The barbero is on its debut and the presence of the opponent must be taken into consideration. Spirited.
And the horses with their jockeys/fantini come out. Race photos can wait till tomorrow.
