Siena, 1 July 2024 – Still a thrill at the move. At the general rehearsal of the Palio di Provenzanoafter some phases that let us savor tomorrow’s skirmishes, here is the man of the verrocchio, Bartolo Ambrosione, giving it a good go. A perfect start with the Bruco of chase – Mattia Chiavassa on Brivido sardo – correctly inside the ropes when it drops. That’s when everything happens.
As shown in the photo we are publishing, the hemp is stepped on by several contradas, then it remains tense and Nicchio, which was in first place (it should actually have been in fourth according to the entry order) cannot overcome the obstacle. Akida, the mare, goes down making the jockey fly away and also losing the headstall. Elias Mannucci, known as Turbine, immediately gets up spreading his arms. The start is valid: Tamurè shoots hard on Criptha in the Civetta, followed by Scompiglio on Ungaros in the Valdimontone and then Grandine on Ares Elce (Leocorno) who turn to see what happened.
Akida doesn’t give up. And indeed she begins to run shaken, turning a little wide at San Martino but galloping hard. So much so that in the end, when the others also slow down, it is the shaken Nicchio who wins the dress rehearsal. The mossiere is rushed away – but this time Ambrosione doesn’t seem to be at fault, the move was a good one -, Nicchio captain Marco Bruni runs down onto the tuff to try to stop Akida. Which in the end then slows down and returns to the hands of the Barbaresco. A dress rehearsal for strong hearts which began with the charge of the Carabinieri on horseback, the honors rendered by the military to the citizens of the Contrade on stage in front of the Municipality and then repeated at the captains’ stand where the authorities were.
