A Month in Bella Italia

[Flutterby]

Lis, it was such a change from anything here in SA. Plus, no-one getting agressive, no fighting....just happy people and good fun!

Lovely memories, Flutts!

Are there no fat people in Italy?
Healthy buggers!

Thanks for the interesting info.

Not many RP...most are very healthy!

[Lisbeth]

Generally, the number of overweight people in Europe is much lower than in SA and USA, but it has started to become a preoccupation especially the very young ones. The schools are working a lot on the problem. The kids do not move enough any more ( too much computer and electronic games ) and there are too many snack temptations and the money to buy them.

In SA, it seems to be more the norm than the exception. I was shocked the first time I visited

[Pumbaa]

Must have been an amazing evening, Flutterby,

Looks like you had a fantastic one

[Flutterby]

We did indeed!

[Flutterby]

The next day we decided to do a day trip to Siena.

Siena is in Tuscany south of Florence. Its historic centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it's famous for its characteristic narrow streets flanked by brick buildings.

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The city of Siena is divided up into 17 contrade (districts), each named after an animal or symbol. Each district flies its own flags and has unique street lamps with the amulets of that particular animal/symbol.

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The Eagle

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The Dolphin

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Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of the historic center of Siena, and is regarded as one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. It is a unique shell-shape, completely surrounded by buildings and is accessed through 11 narrow walkways which radiate into the city.

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The Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) is the focal point of the square, and construction on it began in 1297, to serve as the seat of the Republic of Siena's government. The outside of the structure is an example of Italian medieval architecture with Gothic influences. The lower story is stone while the upper crenellated stories are made of brick. The facade of the palace is curved slightly inwards (concave) to reflect the outwards curve (convex) of the Piazza del Campo. The campanile or bell tower, Torre del Mangia, was built between 1325 and 1344; its crown was designed by the painter Lippo Memmi. The tower was designed to be taller than the tower in neighboring rival Florence; at the time it was the tallest structure in Italy.

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We saw 3 weddings take place at the Palazzo during our visit! This car was used for all three weddings!

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[Lisbeth]

When talking about Siena the "Palio" must be mentioned:

It's not just a race, it's a passion

What is the Palio?

The Palio is the most important event in Siena, taking place on July 2 and August 16 every year.

In the Palio, the various Sienese "contrade", or areas in which the city is divided, challenge each other in a passionate horse race in the heart of the city in the Piazza del Campo.

Originally, there were about fifty-nine "Contrade"; now only seventeen remain, ten of which take part in the historical pageant and in the race at each Palio (seven by right and three drawn by lots).

The 17 Contrade which still exist today are: the Eagle, Snail, Wave, Panther, Forest, Tortoise, Owl, Unicorn, Shell, Tower, Ram, Caterpillar, Dragon, Giraffe, Porcupine, She-Wolf and the Goose.

Each Contrada has its own unique emblem and colors and represents an area of the city. As one walks through the streets of Siena it is easy to know in which Contrada you currently are in by observing the flags and emblems displayed along the street. Much like street signs, corners often designate the entrance into a different Contrada with signs as the ones in the picture below.



The Palio horse race has its origins in the distant past, with historical records indicating horse races in Siena already taking place in the 6th century.

The Palio is much more than a simple event for the Sienese, it actually is a large part of their lives since the time of their birth. Each person belongs to a Contrada, participates in the life of the Contrada and the organization of the Palio throughout the entire year. The Sienese live the Palio with great passion and you'll certainly be able to see this if you have the chance to attend one of the races.

The Event

The Palio is a pretty complex event that has gained additional rules through the centuries, as well as traditions and customs, many which only members of the contrada are aware of. Below is a highlight of some of the main rules and traditions of the Palio, which should be useful in better understanding the event. The Palio horse race takes place twice a year, one the 2nd of July (Palio of Provenzano, in honor of the Madonna of Provenzano) and on August 16th (Palio of the Assumption, in honor of the Virgin Mary's Assumption).

During this special occasion, the main square in Siena, the Piazza del Campo, is prepared for the race as the ring around the square is covered with tuff clay.

Ten out of the seventeen contrade take part in each race: seven are those that did not participate in the previous race on that day, while the other three are drawn by lots.

The Palio actually takes place over 4 days, the race taking place on the fourth day. The first day is for the "Tratta", or the drawing of the lots and assignment of the horses to each of the Contrade. Therefore, each of the Contrade picks their jockey but not the horse; the horses are drawn and only known at this time, just 4 days before the race!



Before the official race there are 6 trial runs or heats, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The fifth trial, the one run the evening prior to the official Palio, is called the "prova generale" or general trial, while the last which takes place the morning of the main race, is called "provaccia" or bad trial given the little effort the jockeys put into it in order to avoid tiring the horses too much. The jockeys always mount their horses without a saddle.

The Palio prize is called "Drappellone" or large drape, a large painted canvas each year designed and created by a different artist and which the winning contrada displays in their contrada museum.

The day of the Palio

On the day of the Palio race the city is in full turmoil and the entire day is dedicated to the event.

Around 8 a.m., in the chapel next to the Palazzo Comunale, the Bishop celebrates the "Messa del fantino" or mass for the horse jockeys. Shortly after the mass the last trial takes place in Piazza del Campo, the one called "provaccia".

At 10.30 a.m. within the Palazzo Comunale and in the presence of the mayor, the "segnatura dei fantini" takes place. The name of the jockeys are confirmed and cannot be substituted from that point on.

At around 3 p.m. each Contrada performs a blessing ceremony of its horse and afterwards joins in the large parade in historical costume, with over 600 participants, that winds through the city. The parade arrives around 5 p.m. at the Piazza del Campo, and ends by around 6.30-7 p.m. Shortly thereafter the explosion of a firecracker signals the entrance of the horses into the piazza. As the jockeys come out, each one receives a whip made out of ox sinew which they can use to prod their horse or to irrate the other opponents in the race.



The Race: Il Palio

The race starts off in the "Mossa", an area set up on the piazza delimited by two long pieces of thick rope. The "Mossiere" then calls the Contrade in the order in which they were drawn and checks that the assigned positions are respected. The first 9 Contrade take up their assigned positions in the area between the two ropes, while the last one, the tenth, enters this area at a running gallop thus signaling the start of the race. This only happens when this last Contrada decides to make the attempt to start off the race.

If the start is not considered valid (this is the case if the jockeys are not in their assigned spots), a shot goes out to signal the jockeys to get back into place. This starting phase within the "Mossa" is more complicated than it seems, as the space is small and the horses are right next to each other. Rivalries run deep within the Contrade and competition is high and the worst result is to see the "enemy" Contrada win the race. The wait for the start of the race can thus be extremely long and last into twilight.

If all goes well the start of the race can start at any time. The horses must run three laps around the Campo, overcoming dangerous points such as the very narrow curve of San Martino where collisions between the wall and between horses have led to many falls in the past (the main reason why many animal activists oppose the Palio).

The first horse that crosses the finish line, even if he arrives without his jockey, wins the race. The winning Contrada receives the Drappellone, as the victorious Contrada members head towards the Church of Provenza (after the July race) or towards the Duomo (after the August race) for the "Te Deum" or prayer of thanks.



SPECIAL NOTE: There is no official box office for the tickets to the palio. Tickets are purchased directly from those who organize the stands, the private terraces or travel agencies that organize packages. Entrance to the center of the Piazza del Campi is free but it gets packed!!

[Lisbeth]

Animal protection organizations want the "Palio" to be prohibited. The horses are running on the pavement made of small square porphyry blocks, which are very slippery and uneven. If a horse falls more often than not it has to be put down and the jockeys whip them furiously. It still has the medieval air about it. It is taken very, very seriously in Siena.

I just noticed that something has obviously been changed, luckily: "the ring around the square is covered with tuff clay." It is still very easy that a horse can fall in the curves and finish like quoted above.

[Lisbeth]

Tuscany and Umbria are full of wonderful small villages from "far back then", with their narrow streets and original architecture. Also the countryside is beautiful. A rolling landscape often covered with vineyards, olive fields and cypresses.

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[Flutterby]

When talking about Siena the "Palio" must be mentioned:

I was going to mention it in the next post.

[Richprins]

Very interesting, Flutts and Lis!

A colourful business there, I must say!