Palio di Siena postponed to July 3 amid heavy rain
The historic Palio di Siena, originally slated for Thursday 2 July, was postponed to Friday 3 July after heavy rain made the tuff track unsafe for horses and jockeys. Siena’s mayor Nicoletta Fabio explained that the decision protected both the animals and participants, and that the municipal technical staff would work to dry the course.
The rescheduled program keeps the same timetable: mortaretto shots at 15:30‑16:00, Carabinieri horse‑mounted drapery at 17:15, the historic Corteo at 17:20, and the race’s start at 19:30. About 15,000 spectators may enter the “conchiglia” area via Via Dupré. The event will be broadcast live on La7 from 17:10, with commentary by Pierluigi Pardo and Giovanni Mazzini. The Aquila contrada is the favourite, fielding veteran jockey Giovanni Atzeni “Tittia” on the Sardinian‑bred Anglo‑Arab horse Diodoro.