Palio

Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a comune against each other. Typically they are fought in costume and commemorate some event or tradition of the Middle Ages, and thus often involve horse racing, archery, jousting, crossbow shooting, and similar medieval sports. Once purely a matter of local rivalries, many have now become events staged with an eye to visitors and foreign tourists.

The Palio di Siena in July 2010

The Palio di Siena is the only one that has been running without interruption since its beginning in the 1630s and it is definitely the most famous all over the world. Its historical origins are documented since 1239, even though the version we see today was the final evolution of races held from the 2nd half of the XVI century. In 1935 the PM of Italy Benito Mussolini sent out an official declaration that only the one of Siena could bring the designation of Palio. All the other horse races held in various parts of Italy being actually just modern reenactments. After WWII, nevertheless, many other palios arose throughout the various regions of Italy, which could be considered just attempts of imitation of the Palio di Siena. Here follows an incomplete list: