Extra Palio in Siena Will Commemorate 100th Anniversary of the End of WWI

Heads up! There will be an extra Palio – a Palio Straordinario – in Siena on October 20.

This extraordinary event will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Siena’s City Council approved the measure for a Palio Straordinario on 14 September.

The 10 Contrade (out of 17) that will run during the Extra Palio are:

• Torre
• Lupa
• Chiocciola
• Oca
• Drago
• Tartuga
• Selva
• Civetta
• Nicchio
• Giraffa

The “Extra Palio” is not necessarily a marketing ploy. Rather, it is not a brand new one. The last time the Tuscan city held an extra Palio was in 2000 to mark the new Millennium. The last, and only other, time Siena held a Palio Straordinario in the month of October was in 1745. Here’s some interesting Palio Straordinario history from Siena News (in Italiano).

For more information about the Extra Palio, I found these details helpful. And while the event is free, there are ticket brokers who sell access to viewing spots above and around the Piazza del Campo.

Here’s a video of the bareback, breakneck, chaotic, crowd-pleasing horse race from 16 August, one of the two dates that the event is run each year.

Post first published on October 5, 2018