Italian towns Siena and San Ginesio set dates for traditional Palio horse races
The historic Palio di Siena will be run on Friday, 3 July, after a weather‑related postponement. The mortaretto will sound at 15:30 and 16:00, the track will be cleared at 16:40, and the race will start at 19:30. Official guests include the Italian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Patrizio Giacomo La Pietra, the mayor of Toledo, the Luxembourg ambassador and the U.S. consul general, among others. The event will be broadcast live on LA7 with commentary by Pierluigi Pardo and Giovanni Mazzini. The winning jockey will be Giovanni Atzeni (known as Tittia) on the horse Diodoro.
In San Ginesio, the Giostra dell’Anello will be held tomorrow as a prelude to the Palio della Pacca scheduled for 15 August. Riders for the four contrade (Porta Alvaneto, Porta Ascarana, Porta Offuna and Porta Picena) have been listed, and the first‑place finisher in each group will advance to the afternoon race. New banners for the Giostra and the Palio have been unveiled, with designs by local artists. Additional events include a medieval dinner with mystery on 12 August and a tavern gathering on 13‑14 August.
Both towns are preparing extensive public ceremonies, cultural displays and community participation as part of their annual Palio traditions.