Tuscany - Italy - page 177

The Palio Festival
Somehow, this 700-year-old horse race is both the most touristy and the
most local event in Italy. Ten of the neighborhoods of Siena have horses that
compete in the three-lap race around the Piazza. If the barebacked horse
finishes with the rider on top, great; if not, that's good, too. Rules are few,
crashes are many, conspiracy theories are common. In short, every July 2
and August 16 the town goes nuts. (Ten neighborhoods compete in the first
race; the top three compete with seven other Siennese 'hoods in Aug.)
The 17 neighborhoods that take part in the race on a rotating basis treat
the event as a combination Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and World War III.
Parties begin weeks before the races and continue for the month after.
Booster clubs spend huge amounts of money to hire the best riders and
horses in Italy, and betting reaches astronomical heights. Rumors of drugged
horses, mugged riders, and general thuggish behavior color the events.
But for a visitor, the races offer a glimpse into the medieval spectacles
of Italy, with all of the pageantry and the generally harmless chaos. The
neighborhood contrade parties are a welcoming blend of street fair, frat
party, and Fellini movie, with free-flowing wine mixing with rock bands,
gossiping elders, carnival booths, and family parties.
The grandstand and bleacher seats around the square go for hundreds
of euros and are sold out months before the event. If you have plenty of
cash and planning skills, contact Palio Viaggi ( % 0577-289114) for tick-
ets. Otherwise, join the masses in the center of the square for the race. To
see anything, you need to arrive hours ahead of time and fight to hold
your ground. From the center of the square, the race doesn't make much
sense. It's over in less than 2 minutes, and chances are you'll miss the
whole thing. But who cares? You're part of the scene.
at the rear), paintings of her miracles (at the Chapel of St. Catherine midway
along the right wall), and relics of the poor woman's severed head and thumb. The
thumb is in a case to the right of the chapel, while her head (original skull, skin
redone) is in a case next to the high altar. Among the paintings of the church, look
for St. Catherine's three symbols, the white lily, cross, and book. St. Catherine was
born in 1347 and spent her life in spiritual contemplation, in ministering to the
poor in post-plague Siena, and in diplomacy. She spent many years trying to
reunite papal and anti-papal factions in Italy before retiring from the world,
receiving the stigmata in this very church and eventual sainthood.
Toward the south side of the city stands the neglected Sant 'Agostino (Via Pier
Andrea Mattioli, south of Pinacoteca; € 2; 7am-noon and 3-7pm), a rarely visited
church far from the madding tourist crowds. If you've purchased a cumulative
ticket, it's worth a visit. A small park outside the church with a playground can
give the kids a break during their cultural march around town. Artwork here