Palio dell'Assunta

The Palio dell'Assunta, the soul of Siena

The Palio dell'Assunta is, alongside the Palio di Provenzano on July 2nd, one of the two historic races held annually in Piazza del Campo in Siena, in the heart of Tuscany. It takes place on August 16th, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, the city's patron saint. This is not a show staged for visitors: it is the identity-defining festival of the Sienese, lived out all year round in the seventeen Contrade that divide the historic city.

The race lasts just over a minute—three laps around the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo—but it is the culmination of days of tension, rituals, and popular passion. Ten Contrade participate in each Palio: the seven that did not run in the corresponding Palio the previous year participate by right, while the other three are drawn by lot. The horses, chosen from among the thoroughbreds and assigned to the Contrade via the tratta (lottery), are the true protagonists: in Siena, the horse wins, even if it finishes "scosso" (riderless).

The Contrade of the 2026 Palio dell'Assunta

For the August 16, 2026 edition, the following run by right: Selva, Chiocciola, Oca, Nicchio, Lupa, Istrice, and Torre. Joining these seven are the four Contrade drawn by lot: Leocorno, Onda, Civetta, and Valdimontone, the latter being the winner of the 2025 Assunta. Each Contrada brings its own colors, its own jockey, and all the historic rivalry with its enemy Contrada to the track, making every race unpredictable.

Four days of trials and the historic pageant

The Palio is more than just the race. From August 13th, the day of the tratta and the assignment of the horses, until the morning of the 16th, six trials take place (two per day, morning and evening), allowing the jockeys to get to know their horses and study the start. On the evening of August 15th, the prova generale (general rehearsal) is held, followed by propitiatory dinners in the streets of the Contrade, while on the morning of the 16th, the provaccia takes place—the final trial before the race.

On the afternoon of the race, before the Palio, the Piazza fills up for the historic pageant: over six hundred participants in Renaissance costumes represent the Contrade, the ancient institutions of the Municipality of Siena, and the famous Carroccio, which carries the drappellone, the prize banner painted each year by a different artist. For 2026, the drappellone is created by artist Teodora Axente and commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Camollia.

A heritage of the Province of Siena

The Palio is the most recognizable symbol of Siena and the entire Province of Siena, an attraction that draws tens of thousands of people from all over Italy and the world. Watching the Palio dell'Assunta from the center of the Piazza for free, or from the stands and windows of the palaces, means experiencing a tradition documented since the 17th century in its current form, but with roots that go even deeper into the history of the Republic of Siena.