Medieval Rivalries: Architecture & Horse Racing in Siena

Siena began as a settlement during the time of the Etruscans in 900 to 400 B.C.

By Uma Raja

Those who spot the subtle details gain insight to an ancient story. A metal dragon’s wing fanned beneath a windowsill. Lampposts painted in three different colors. Graffiti of a rhino on the wall. Flags billowing in the wind.

The details in the design of Siena tell a tale of medieval contentions. The city is divided into 17 neighborhoods, known as contrade, each with a signature mascot, flag and specialized colors. Despite the contrade being documented in the 13th century, the rivalries are far from antiquated. Since 1482, horses race twice a year in the Palio of Siena, a spirited competition that defines the city.

Piazza del Campo

The race takes place in Piazza del Campo, Siena's primary square. The ground of the piazza is concave and shaped like a seashell. It was paved with red brick in 1349. The bricks are divided into nine segments that represent the nine members of the oligarchy the ruled Siena in 1287 to 1355, as well as to resemble the folds in the cloak of the Virgin Mary. Every aspect of Siena’s design reveals a layer of history, each detail carefully chosen and riddled with symbolism.

In addition to the horse race, Piazza del Campo also marks the finish line of Strade Bianche, an annual road cycling race.

The grand bell tower of Piazza del Campo was built between 1325 and 1344. It looms large at 334 feet tall, making it the second tallest medieval tower in Italy after the Torrazzo of Cremona.

There are 332 steps to the top of the bell tower. The tower was fitted with a mechanical clock in 1360.

Pigeons swarm like a cyclone, the flaps of their wings mingling with the bellowing of the clock tower. While toiling up cobblestone streets and peering into secretive alleyways, it’s easy to imagine Siena in the medieval ages. The hilly city remains a capsule in time, the architecture completely unchanged for hundreds of years.

The primary reason for the style of architecture is because of a plague that wiped out half of Siena’s population in 1348. The illness decimated the economy and left the city stagnant during the Renaissance.

“I was just walking around in the small spaces, it’s very cozy,” said Lars Vetver, a tourist from the Netherlands. “I just came because the buildings looked cool, I didn’t know there was so much history.”

Visiting the plaza on an average day, tourists mill about with melting gelato. Restaurants line the perimeter while a beautiful fountain squirts glistening water. Siena does not enjoy the luxuries of Florence or Venice with easy access to drinking water. After digging deep into the ground for eight years, the citizens of Siena were overwhelmed with joy to find aquifers of pure water in 1342. The fountain was named Gaia, after the goddess of Earth and happiness.

The Gaia Fountain, created by Jacopo della Quercia, is considered one of the most influential works of 1400s Italy. The fountain’s design takes inspiration from both Gothic and Renaissance styles.

The Horse Race

Looking at Piazza del Campo, it’s difficult to believe the peaceful space could be the source of such an intense competition. Bodies squeezed together, the thunderous cacophony of hooves pounding on bricks. Adrenaline-fueled shouting, the culmination of rivalries that date back centuries. A year of bragging rights and pride on the line.

The race is composed of a singular loop around the white outlines of the plaza. The entire event takes one minute and fifteen seconds. In the blink of an eye, a victor is declared and the race is over.

Jockeys ride the horses bareback, a skill uncommon in most equestrian sports. The lack of a saddle makes balancing more difficult. Even if the jockey falls off, a horse can still win. The jockey is merely a decoration—the real winner is the horse.

The 17 neighborhood mascots are dragon, eagle, caterpillar, snail, owl, porcupine, unicorn, giraffe, she-wolf, shell, goose, tortoise, ram, wave, tower, forest and panther.

Bleacher and balcony seats can cost a hefty fee, but standing in the packed plaza and enjoying the electric atmosphere of the race is free.

While the competition is hotblooded, the purpose is deeply religious. The race occurs twice, once on July 2 in honor of the Madonna of Provenzano and again on August 16 in honor of the Virgin Mary’s assumption. The winners of the two races receive a painted Virgin Mary banner that is displayed in their contrade. As the race dedicated to the Virgin Mary, betting is prohibited.

Due the spatial restrictions of the plaza, only ten horses compete at a time, hence the need to divide the celebration of the Virgin Mary into two different races. With 17 neighborhoods present, three neighborhoods are randomly selected to have their horse race twice. While 17 may seem like a lot, Siena originally had 59 different districts.

When they’re not busy racing, horses spend a life in the Italian countryside. These athletes spend all year training, and each neighborhood is assigned a different horse each year.

Contrade Culture

Siena tour guide Francesca Tilli feels a sense of pride growing up in the neighborhood of the dragon. The first time she saw her neighborhood win the race was in 2002, but the dragons were also victorious in 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2018.

“When I was here in the square it was very special, it was such a strong emotion, it’s one of the best memories I have in my life,” Tilli said.

Francesca Tilli was born in Siena and has been a tour guide since 2011.

In the 1700s, it was unclear if the dragon neighborhood’s horse had crossed the finish line first. The victory was split, so the dragons now claim 54.5 victories. This minuscule fraction is to the dismay of their primary rival, the snail neighborhood, who currently have a meager 54.0 wins.

“We make fun of each other, especially of your rival neighborhood,” Tilli said. “You have to win the race, but if it’s not possible you have to do everything possible to avoid the victory of your rival.”

Neighborhoods have a designated stable where horses reside for four days before the race. Before the event, a priest visits all 17 animals for a special blessing of the horse.

The goose neighborhood boasts the most horse race wins with 66 total victories.

“My favorite part of the horse race is the sense of belonging because you grow up with the members of your neighborhood, so you consider them like family,” Tilli said. “There’s a very strong sense of community here and there’s a bond.”