Under the Tuscan Spell

Temple Ligon, business editor of The Columbia Star , recently donned a white linen suit and a red tie and ran with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Last year he went to Wimbledon arm–in–arm with a beautiful tennis player.

What else might satisfy Temple’s urges? Carnival in Rio with a Brazilian model? OktoberFest in Munich with a reiche junge Frau ? Or perhaps, he could jockey a horse in the Palio in Siena, Italy, and become the hero of all Tuscany.

After reading Dario Castagno’s account of the Palio in his book, Too Much Tuscan Sun , I thought of Temple. The event happens on July 2 and August 16, but as long as I was in Italy in May, I thought I would check it out for our adventurous business editor.

The Palio is run in the city square of Siena, Italy, that has been filled with sand and lined with mattresses. The race begins when the tenth horse reaches the starting line. The Palio is the most important public event held in Italy today. It is a bloody, hysterical, medieval pageant that captures the heart and soul of Tuscany for a whole year.

In the first turn of the Palio, horse and jockeys slam into the wall breaking bones and losing face for years to come. It began in 1701 to honor a saint who protected the Sienese army in a battle against the Florentines. It evolved into contests among the 17 districts (contrada) of the city including jousts, boxing, bull fighting, buffalo races, and ball tossing. It is now a one–minute horse race around the main square of Siena. The winning contrada receives a hand–painted silk banner (the Palio).

Preparations for the Palio include drunken feasts, flag–waving processions, blessings of horses, and making of elaborate costumes by the contrada teams. Four days before the race, the square is covered with dirt, mattresses are placed against the walls, and bleachers are set up against the buildings. On the ground and in windows, balconies, and loggias there are 33,000 seats.

During the Palio in Siena, Italy, the jockeys ride bareback around the city square. After the one–minute race, the winner is a hero and the losers must admit their shame. On the appointed days, selected and costumed members of each contrada parade into the square. The contrada are now known by the symbol on their flag: Caterpillar, Dragon, Eagle, Forest, Giraffe, Goose, Mutton, Owl, Panther, Porcupine, Shell, She–Wolf, Snail, Tower, Turtle, Unicorn, and Wave. (I see Temple as a Porcupine.) At the end of the parade comes an ox–drawn chariot holding town leaders.

As the bugles and trumpets sound and the drums beat, one person from each contrada competes in a flag–throwing contest. Flags fly, people cheer, and finally the bell chimes.

Ten jockeys drawn by chance from the 17 contrada prance to the starting line, riding bareback. One is selected to be the running starter. When he gallops to the starting line, the race begins.

It is total chaos. Screams from the throngs, trumpets, bugles, drums, bells. Beer and wine flow in the streets. Banners fly, flags wave.

In the first turn, half the riders slam against the walls. A few fall from their steeds. Horses legs shatter. It is hair raising. It is a rule that jockeys can beat other horses and each other with their whips made of calf phalluses.

The race is three laps around the square. The first horse to cross the finish line is the winner even if he has no jockey. The members of the winning contrada rush to take the Palio. That night there is a victory dinner with the winning horse as the guest of honor. The next day there is a victory parade. Winner pays all, and the losers must express the shame of defeat before all Siena. Feasts continue until the second Palio on August 16. Then the whole thing is repeated again.

Temple, the Palio is yours to ride. Your readers await your report.

(Next week: Siena, a living artifact)