The Palio - Siena

Advantages: Amazing medieval horse race
Disadvantages: Felt like I was in the way of the locals

...The Palio has to be witnessed when you visit Siena, so always try and visit either on the 2nd of July or the 16th of August. I've no idea why they run this race twice in a year. It's an amazing horserace held in the Piazza del Campo in the heart of the medieval city. The horses are blessed inside the town's churches in the morning and then as people leave the churches the festivities begin. Around 12ish, all the younger members of the city's contrada's (boroughs) and the tourists, begin to pour into the middle of the square. 50,000 people fit in the centre so it's a good idea to get into this square as soon as you can to guarantee a good spot, unless you're lucky enough to get hold of a view from the balcony of a hotel in the square. During the afternoon the sounds of drums can be heard in the old medieval streets as each contrada...

MisterCheese 12.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of Siena (Italy)

I'd rather stay home this weekend...

Advantages: Cheap, wide availability of technical support
Disadvantages: Utterly Fiat

...Alright... So this is another Fiat built here in Turkey... Let us go try it even if we have no intent whatsoever to buy it... (Buy a Fiat ? God NO !) Looks and Body : The same dull looks of the Palio hatch and Siena (the sedan version) The body gives the durable feel when you knock on it. However, the paint clearly shows that it will fade soon under the harsh sun of Turkish summers. You folks have a year more before she fades away in the UK. The body is extremely rigid. Good... This "half on the curb test" of mine should become an industrial standard... (I want my copyright for it !) The pillars are very thick which gives the impression that the body can withstand real hard knocks. However this image is tarnished when you come across the door sill design. It is a straight rectangular opening...

MuratM 18.05.2004 · Read review
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Review of Fiat Palio Weekend 1.6

Do not miss this town

Advantages: Il Palio is unique
Disadvantages: None

...I am a big fan of Siena and would recommend it to anyone going to Italy. If you can afford to go there during "Il palio", this is the best period. Il Palio is a horse race which happens twice a year in one of the old squares of the town. Each borough of the town competes against the others. These borroughs are called "cONTRADA" and come from the medieval past of the City, when it was very much divided. There is a lot of excitement, people from contradas prepare il palio for 6 months a year, and there are 2 of them. The contrada which wins gets absolutely crazy and they party all night long. People from Siena are also very friendly and lively. Go and see by yourself....

FRADUC 20.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of Siena (Italy)

Siena - Piazza del Campo.

Advantages:
Disadvantages:

...Siena is a small but exquisite Italian city. It is one of the lesser Italian tourist attractions, however, it is easily navigable and locals are friendly. A must see is the Piazza del Campo - the shell-shaped piazza which is the heart of the city. I have spent many hours sitting out there of an evening or lunchtime watching the world go by. Each July and August it is the location of the Palio - the city's horse race. This is quite an event as every contrade (district) in the city has an opportunity to compete against the others and it is a great event in the Sienese calendar. The Palio is quite a colourful affair as there is a parade of the contrade who enter a horse into the competition and is a whole day of ceremony and celebration before the relatively short horse race. The Campo is also where little children in all sort...

penguin_too 16.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Siena (Italy)

Beautiful Siena

Advantages: Beautiful Glorious architecture, good food, Culture
Disadvantages: Difficult to find any

...favourite Cathedrals ! On July 2nd and August 16th the Campo is the scene every year for an utterly mad cap horse race, which is preceded by a costumed parade of the dignatories of ten of Siena's neighbourhood's or contradas. The Palio race takes place between the contradas of the city and each team have their own flag and uniform.The Campo itself is absolutely beautiful and must be one of the finest public squares anywhere in the world. Siena is famous not only for its art and architecture but also as a center of banking. Indeed the Monti dei Paschi di Siena bank is probably the oldest bank in the world-its was founded back in 1472 some two decades before Columbus managed to discover the new world. Many of the local citizens love to take their evening stroll or passeggiata along the walkway's of Siena's financial district. If...

ashford 09.08.2000 (10.09.2001) · Read review
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Review of Siena (Italy)

Stunning Sienna!

Advantages: Breathtakingly beautiful with quirky charm!
Disadvantages: Accomodation, can be difficult if arriving last minute.

...that glow a fantastic red due to the building materials. All except the duomo that is. A cathedral that can only be desribed as a Zebra of churches. It's all black and white horizontal stripes. Inside this has the most amazing inlaid marble floor that for most of the year is covered over, but in August is reavealed for all to see. A stones throw from the duomo is the main square or the Il Campo, the focus point of the town. This is a pentagon shaped enclosed area that slopes towards the clock towered town hall, surrounded by many eating places. The main point here is to go when the Palio is on ( August I think). This is when the town is taken over by the bareback horse riders and race them in the il Campo. The town is divided into 17 regions called contrade, each contrade race a horse and dress in their costume for the contrade...

SimonJB 19.02.2004 (26.05.2004) · Read review
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Review of Siena (Italy)

Siena, Italy's Jewel in the Crown.

Advantages: jFantastic Ambiance, Medieval City with Modern Feeling. Food and wine are excellent.
Disadvantages: None at all.

...stroll through narrow Gothic streets, lined with palaces and patrician mansions, the oldest bank in the world - the entrance of which more befits a church - and the famous Piazza del Campo. This square or rather quadrant, is the venue, twice annually, for the popular Palio delle Contrade. The whole town prepares for this spectacular event for weeks beforehand. It recalls the medieval administrative organisation of Siena with its 17 parishes or Contrade, beginning with a procession in costume and followed by, what is possibly the most dangerous and spectacular, horse race, around the Piazza. The Palio is a standard or banner which bears the effigy of the Virgin Mary and is awarded to the winner. Each rider represents one of the Contrade "families", of Siena and there is fierce competition to win the Palio for the honour...

Scorpio2 17.07.2001 · Read review
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Review of Siena (Italy)

Sunburnt in SIENA

Advantages: Stunning
Disadvantages: Missed the Palio - steep climb to old town

...Siena is probably most famous for the Palio - the psychotic, twice-yearly dash around Il Campo, the heart of this ancient, walled city. I'm sure most people are familiar with the carnival atmosphere generated during this frenetic, hell-for-leather race around the cobbles, but unfortunately the timing of our visit didn't coincide with the medieval equivalent of Whacky Races on sulph. Never mind. The old town of Siena is built on and around three hills, and is completely free from traffic. Visitors have to park in one of several car parks outside the walls and proceed on foot. It's not a long walk, but it IS a steep walk. There are shuttle buses that run between the car parks and the town gates but, if you're like me and think impatience is a virtue, you can very-near kill yourself slogging up the practically vertical slope in...

proxam 29.08.2005 (17.06.2006) · Read review
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Review of Siena (Italy)

This Book Will Keep You Guessing

Advantages: Gripping yarns, all with a "twist in the tail"
Disadvantages: Not a lot!

...millions of pounds. One of the partners decides to avenge his loss, and sets up a clever plot of his own to extract vengeance on the people he suspects (but can’t prove) were behind the crime. Another cleverly written story, which again will leave you wondering what exactly is going on until it all suddenly comes together at the end of the yarn. ~ ~ ‘The Miracle’ takes us to one of my favourite cities in the whole of Europe. Sienna, in the Tuscany region of Italy. An American tourist and his wife are rushing to try to obtain a good spot to view the famous horse race, the “Palio”, that takes place through the city’s streets each summer. His wife slips on the cobblestones and badly sprains her ankle, and they rest up on the steps of an old square. An aging “hippy”, with long greying hair...

the_mad_cabbie 14.01.2003 · Read review
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Review of The Veteran - Frederick Forsyth

Simply beautiful

Advantages: Beautiful, historical, cultural, cuisine...
Disadvantages: Expensive, can be too much to see and do

...10 guests in total. The rooms were fantastic, the scenery, beautiful. There was a pool in the back, and tennis courts set amongst rows of olive trees. The properties are owned by a Contessa and her son, and date back to the 17th century. There?s also a charming one star restaurant with delicious food called La Mora where we ate the first night. The bean soup with spelt, the insalata al mare, and many other dishes are all highly recommended. It is also listed in the Michelin with three forks and one star. Siena: The color burnt siena gets it?s name from this charming medieval town, which literally is all a shade of that brown, but the town is famous mainly for two things. One is for the annual palio, where the various neighborhoods maintain their traditional rivalries dating back to the medieval era and race horses through...

mystikchick17 18.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of General: Italy