Palio Tour Of Siena

The tour starts in front of our office in the main square of

Siena,

Piazza del Campo. The square is exactly where the World famous horse race, The

Palio, takes place twice a year. You will see the

Palio on the screen, and the guide will introduce you to this fascinating tradition telling about the rules of the race and the whole celebration that lasts four days, starting from the assignment of the horses to the

Contradas (districts of

Siena). You will also learn about the traditional rivalry between

Contradas to which everyone in

Siena participates from birth. The tour will continue in one of the 17 districts (

Contrade) where the guide will show you the district’s fountain, where children born in

Contrada are baptized. You will then have an exclusive guided tour of the

Contrada’s

museum, where the ‘Standards’, the banners given to the winning

Contrada, and the traditional medieval costumes of the

Contrada’s members are exhibited. A visit to a

Contrada’s museum is a unique opportunity since there are no opening hours and it’s the volunteers from every Contrada that open the doors to the guests upon special request. On special occasions you will be also able to see the Oratory of the

Contrada you visit.