Siena unveils 2026 Palio drappellone and Masgalano award, announces race schedule

The city of Siena held a ceremony on 26 June to reveal the 2026 Palio drappellone, a large painted banner created by Trentino artist Ismaele Nones. The work, dedicated to the Madonna of Provenzano and marking the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi’s death, features the Madonna, Saint Francis, the two competing horses and symbols of the 17 contrade.

At the same event the Masgalano 2026 award was presented. The silver‑and‑plexiglass trophy, designed by Siena goldsmith Antonio Benocci with support from Berenice Arcamone, was donated by the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted to honor the memory of Enrico “Ghigo” Giannelli. Its central motif is a hand reading Braille, symbolising inclusion.

The ceremony also marked the start of the Palio programme. After the tuff was laid on Piazza del Campo on 25 June, a series of regulated trials will run from 27 June to 1 July, with the Tratta on 29 June. The Palio itself is scheduled for 2 July, preceded by a solemn procession and a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice.