Traditional Horse Racing, Siena's Palio

The Traditional Horse Racing, Siena’s Palio has been held since 1287 on the Townsquare of Siena. During this event, the stakes are high as the 17 neighborhoods (contrade) race each other for this year’s victory.

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You can watch this event on the shell-shaped Townsquare in Siena, where you can watch this thrilling race. Because they race around the square the horsemen have to be pretty courageous as it is not without danger.

If you won’t be able to make it to the racing day you will be able to see a lot of horse racing in the three days leading up to the event. You can also see some great soccer games leading up to the event. During both tournaments, you will definitely see some Italian rivalry and fire. Also, the event is famous for some corruption, they don’t mind how you win, just win.

The Traditional Horse Racing, Siena’s Palio takes place every year on 2 July and 16 August.

When visiting Italy, we recommend you to visit the region Matera as well. It is one of the most amazing regions in Italy. You can find more information about this region on our website.

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