Palio de Siena is held again after 2 years

The first Palio in Siena after two years of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic had a defined ending in the photo finish, with victory going to Giovanni Azteni's horse Il Drago this Saturday (2). This was the jockey's eighth victory in the traditional Italian competition.

However, the race had a little bit of everything in this “return to normality”, as defined by the mayor of the city in Tuscany, Luigi De Mossi.

ADVERTISING

🔴 Supreme Court • May 2026

Standing in line at the consulate doesn't erase your right to citizenship.

The Italian Supreme Court has confirmed that a consular blockade is legal grounds for legal action.

• Were you unable to schedule an appointment at the consulate?
• Is the process stalled or poorly managed?
• Maternal lineage?
• Incomplete documentation?

See if there is still a solution.

For the first time since the 1800s, the event only featured six of the 10 horses expected to compete. This is because there were three injuries to the animals in the classification sessions and one of the jockeys, Stefano Piras, fell and both left the competition. The three animals were taken to veterinary clinics in the region.

Among the thousands of people who participated in the traditional Palio, there was also the President of the House of Representatives of the United States, Nancy Pelosi, who is passing vacation in Italy.

The Siena Palio is always played on July 2nd and August 16th in the historic center of the city.

Before the break of two consecutive years, something unprecedented since the first races in the 13th century, the event was not only held in four other years: on August 16, 1723 because of the death of a member of the royal family; in 1855 due to a cholera epidemic; and in 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War. (Ansa Brasil)