Palio di San Cassiano

A festival that rediscovers the village's thermal roots

The Palio di San Cassiano is the signature event of San Casciano dei Bagni, a small village in the Province of Siena, Tuscany, famous for its thermal waters and, in recent years, for the extraordinary archaeological discovery of the bronze statues at the Bagno Grande sanctuary. The festival began in 1995 with the aim of rediscovering and staging the ancient bathing seasons of the 16th-18th centuries, when visitors arrived from everywhere to seek healing in the town's hot springs. Since then, the Palio has established itself as the most anticipated event of the summer in San Casciano, held on the Sunday closest to August 13th, the day dedicated to Saint Cassian, the village's patron saint.

The four competing districts

The heart of the event is the challenge between the four historical districts of the town: Campanile, Porticciola, Pozzo, and Gattineto. Each one enlivens its own streets with colors, banners, and a healthy local rivalry passed down from generation to generation, involving both young and old in an entire week of preparations and community life.

The historical pageant and the blessing of the Palio

In the late afternoon, participants in Renaissance costumes gather near the castle to bring a striking historical pageant to life, featuring ladies, knights, drummers, guards, judges, and standard-bearers. The procession winds through the historic center to the Church of San Leonardo, where the parish priest performs the blessing of the Palio and the Magistrate receives the oath of the district captains. As the torches are lit, the village is bathed in an atmosphere of times past.

Traditional challenges

The challenges between the districts then begin, a series of popular games that award decisive points for the final race:

• Sack race
• Pot-breaking (Pentolaccia)
• Ruzzolone (rolling of the cheese wheel)
• Greasy pole

The district with the highest total score starts in an advantageous position, while the others follow in descending order based on their results.

The final frog race

The highlight is the historic race that gives the Palio its name: the granocchiai (frog handlers) push carts carrying a frog along the village track. The district whose cart crosses the finish line first without losing the frog during the race wins the drappellone (banner), a feat as spectacular as it is tense and entertaining. The winner is awarded the banner, which is painted by an artist each year.

A summer in the Sienese Valdichiana

Experiencing the Palio di San Cassiano means immersing yourself in one of the most genuine festivals in southern Tuscany, within the walls of a thermal village rich in history, just a stone's throw from the borders with Umbria and Lazio. The event, organized by the Compagnia del Palio, combines re-enactment, local gastronomy, and community spirit in an evening that remains in the hearts of residents and visitors alike.