With great surprise on Saturday the 20th of October 2018 an extra Palio will take place, to commemorate the centenary of the end of the Great War (read more about the official reason).
The decision was taken quite suddenly, with just a few days between the proposal and the confirmation of this additional Palio. 10 out of the 17 Contradas in Siena have voted in favour of this special happening, thus setting the organisation process in motion, and igniting emotions and dreams of the Sienese people.
The tufo, the special dirt laid for the Palio, will therefore cover the Piazza del Campo for a third time this year, in October. And this is another peculiarity of this extra Palio, as such "third races" have historically been run in the spring or soon after the "regular" August Palio, such as the last extra-ordinary Palio of the year 2000, won by the Contrada della Selva on September the 9th. We must go back to 1745 to find another race in October.
Surely this is a historical event, unique in its configuration and motivation. In October we will have shorter days, a milder climate, the vineyards already with the bright colours of the autumn and less visitors in town; yet the people of the Contradas will be ready to preparate, participate and celebrate in the usual explosive manner this new race.
Given the very short notice to this third race of the year, and therefore a demand which will probably be less massive than for July the 2nd or August the 16th races, tickets to the October the 20th, 2018 extra Palio will be on sale at sensibly reduced prices. The race will be identical in importance, organisation and intensity to any other which has been run in the past 350 years.
Extra Palio 2018 schedule
- September the 30th, 5:30pm: lottery for selcting the 10 running Contradas
- October the 14th, 5:15pm: presentation to the public of the Palio (painter is Gian Marco Montesano)
- October the 17th, time to be confirmed (1pm?): allocation of the horses to the Contradas
- October the 17th, 5:15pm: first trial race
- October the 18th, 10am: second trial race
- October the 18th, 5:15pm: third trial race
- October the 19th, 10am: fourth trial race
- October the 19th, 5:15pm: fifth trial race (Prova Generale)
- October the 20th, 10am: sixth trial race
- October the 20th, 2:45pm: start of the historical parade
- October the 20th, 5pm: Palio
Contact us for more information on tickets, accommodation and packages to this rare event!
Siena, 14th September 2018
