districts, horses and where to see it

Great anticipation for the traditional Palio of July 2 in the city of Siena: there are also six horses in the race that have never run. Why the Goose is the favorite and where to watch the event on TV

BOLOGNA – There is great anticipation in Siena for tonight’s Palio. The horses will leave the Cortile del Podestà at 7:30 p.m. The live broadcast will be on La7. There are a total of 10 contrade competing. The contrade were running by right. Ram, Panther, Caterpillar, Unicorn, She-Wolf, Owl and Goose: three more have been added to these, with a draw that took place on Sunday: Giraffa, Nicchio and Onda. Also taking part in tonight’s race six debuting horseswhich are therefore making their debut on the tuff of Piazza del Campo in Siena.

THE PALIO OF JULY 2ND AND AUGUST 16TH

This evening’s event is the first of two that traditionally characterize the city of Siena: on July 2nd, that is today, the race takes place The Palio of Provenzano (or of the Madonna di Provenzano), while on August 16th the Palio dell’Assunta takes place. Both events attract thousands of tourists and enthusiasts‘bewitched’ by the charm of the 17 city districts and the centuries-old history of this competition.

THE START OF THE RACE AND THE VICTORY

The starting line consists of the so-called “Move”formed by two ropes inside which 10 competing districts are placed, according to the order established by the draw. The winner of the race is the horse that completes three laps first, with or without a jockey in the saddle. If the horse arrives without a jockey, it is said that the winner is the “shaken horse“.

THE CONTRADA – HORSE COUPLES

These are the pairings between horses and districts decided by drawing lots:

Sardinian Thrill for the Contrada del Bruco (ear number 10, thigh number 34), debutante
Ungaros for the Contrada Valdimontone (ear number 2, thigh number 16), he ran the Palio twice
Criptha for the Contrada della Civetta (ear number 3, thigh number 17), debutante
Angel Face for the Contrada della Pantera (ear number 6, thigh number 23), he ran the Palio three times
Summer for the Contrada dell’Oca (ear number 1, thigh number 10), he ran the Palio once
Zenios for the Contrada della Lupa (ear number 9, thigh number 32), debutante
Ideology for the Contrada del Nicchio (ear number 4, thigh number 18), debutante
Ares Elce for the Contrada del Leocorno (ear number 7, thigh number 29), debutante
Tobacco for the Contrada dell’Onda (ear number 8, thigh number 31), he ran the Palio six times
Ardeglina for the Contrada della Giraffa (ear number 5, thigh number 20), debutante

JOCKEYS AND DISTRICTS

Carlo Sanna – Wave
Giovanni Atzeni – Goose
Jonathan Bartoletti -Valdimontone
Enrico Bruschelli – Panther
Andrea Coghe – She-Wolf
Sebastiano Murtas – Leocorn
Federico Guglielmi – Owl
Elias Mannucci – Nicchio
Mattia Chiavassa – Caterpillar
Gabriele Puligheddu – Giraffe

AND FAVORITES

Among the favorite districts there is theOca. Not only is it the one that has accumulated the greatest number of victories ever (63), but it is also the one that fate has matched with the jockey Giovanni Atzeni, known as Tittìaamong the best in recent years. He won both palios in 2013, 2019, 2022 and won the July palio last year. The dress rehearsal was won by Nicchio with the shaken horse.

TODAY’S PROGRAM

At 7.45 there was the Jockey’s Mass (officiated by His Eminence Cardinal and Archbishop Augusto Paolo Lojudice at the external Chapel of Palazzo Pubblico), while at 9 the horses are scheduled to leave the Cortile del Podestà, with advance notice at 8.20 and clearing of the track at 8.40, for the Provaccia.

At 3.30 pm and 4 pm the firecrackers will be fired for the first and second warning, then at 4.40 pm the start of the clearing of the runway to allow for the 5.15 pm the parade of the Carabinieri on horseback. Then at 5.20 pm it makes its entrance into Piazza del Campo the historical parade. At 7:30 pm the horses leave the Cortile del Podestà for the Palio. The last access to Piazza del Campo from via Duprè is closed at 6:15 pm.

VICTORIES IN HISTORY

Here is the number of victories accumulated by each contrada: Oca 63; Chiocciola 49; Tartuca 47 and a half (one Palio won with Onda); Nicchio 45; Onda 44 and a half (one Palio won with Tartuca); Valdimontone 43; Torre 41; Selva 39; Drago 38; Istrice 38; Lupa 37; Giraffa 35; Bruco 33; Civetta 33; Leocorno 28; Pantera 25; Aquila 24.