Alana Steinberg

On our first night in Siena, we wandered into a celebration at Torre, the contrada that won the July Palio.

A young boy from Torre rapidly commentates on a game of barberi while children from the contrada cheer.

On a whim, David, Saskia, Will, and Alyssa bet on a game of barberi at the Torre contrada and won a prosciutto (that sat in our fridge for the next four weeks).

Every night, the dance floor at the outdoor parties in Nicchio were packed with young Sienese dancing to a live band or DJ. Popular songs included Spanish music and an unfortunate Italian rendition of “Cotton Eye Joe.”

Taken from the shoulders of a rower on the last night of the Nicchio party, students from our program partied to house music on a packed dance floor.

Men from Valdimontone, the ram, proudly follow their horse during the estrazione, the lottery in which horses are assigned to contrade. As they march, they chant one of their fight songs. All of the contrade have a song to the same tune, but they change the words to represent the goals and characteristics of their contrada.

Contradioli excitedly push through the crowd to follow their horse at the estrazione.

While singing a fight song mimicking Istriche, their rival, children from Lupa, no older than eight, all synchronically made rude gestures across the stands.

Young lupe put away the profane hand gestures for the procession of the candles into the Duomo.

Two days before the race, the palio is brought into the Duomo, the main cathedral, during the Procession of the Candles so that young contradaioli can ritually offer it candles.

The flagbearers from Aquila march into the Duomo, led by their drummer. Each contrada’s drumbeat is different.

A man from Torre proudly stands front and center in the crowd to watch the candle offerings.

The Duomo is filled with people watching the candle offerings. The ceremony, which lasts about an hour… and there is no air conditioning in this gothic cathedral!

Saskia, Kristina, Sara, Matt, and I were some of the first of our group to arrive in the piazza around 7:30AM on race day. After nine hours playing cards, going on coffee runs, and complaining about the heat, we were proud (and tired) front row spectators.

A man dressed in costume plays a traditional trumpet during the Corteo Historico that precedes the Palio.

The flagbearers from Nicchio do their flag routine for judges. They will perform four times during this parade: once on each corner of the track.

To end the Corteo Historico, the palio is brought out on a float and hung just past the finish line.

Selva flags wave in front of the Duomo, the first stop in the victory parade. Inside, Selva prays and celebrates before continuing on their march around town.

The winning jockey, Giovanni Atzeni, holding his son, is carried at the front of the victory parade.