The Five Best Palio Events In Italy!

A ‘Palio’ is the name given to an annual athletic contest held in towns and cities across Italy where districts or ‘contrade’ of a particular area compete with each other in medieval sports like jousting, horse racing and archery to win a ‘palio’ or victory banner for that year. What used to be just a local rivalry event has transformed into a series of national tourist attractions!

Visitors come from all over the world every year, on different dates to enjoy the colourful spectacles on display during these festivities.

A Palio event usually lasts a few days and comprises of music filled streets, colourful banners, medieval style banquets and fairs. Why not stay in a lovely holiday villa rental in Siena or close to Asti where two of the best Palio events take place during the summer months?

Probably the best known Palio event in Italy is the Palio di Siena. It’s a thrilling bareback horse race between ten of the seventeen contrade in the city around the Piazza del Campo. The competition is fierce as the rivals are prepared to do whatever it take to cross the finishing line first; even if it means that a contrada’s horse has to complete it without its jockey! This exhilarating celebration takes place twice annually, on the 2nd of July and the 16th August.

In the city of Asti in Northwest Italy, the adrenaline fuelled Palio di Asti takes place every year on the third Sunday in September. The main event, a gripping high speed horserace between twenty one contrade is held in the famous triangular track, the Piazza Alfieri to determine the champion.

The colourful festivities which follow are a feast for the senses and will be a wonderful Italian holiday memory to treasure forever!

The ‘’Giostra della Quintana” held in the charming town of Ascoli Piceno every year on the first Sunday in August, is an exhibition not to be missed! This is a medieval celebration of the sport of jousting which sees six horses and jockeys representing their ‘sestiere’ gallop around a figure eight stadium and charge with a lance raised toward a terrified cardboard Saracen.

Following this electrifying event, the people and visitors of the town come together to celebrate with food, drink and music throughout the night to honour another successful year of the ‘’Giostra della Quintana”.

A very popular tourist attraction, the "Mastrogiurato di Lanciano”, is held from the last Sunday in August to the first Sunday in September every year in the small town of Lanciano in central Italy. This is a celebration of the huge fair that drew thousands of merchants and visitors to trade here in medieval times.

During this vigorous week, the town is flooded with street performers, marching bands, medieval games of chivalry, and tasty banquets held out in the streets. Music fills the air and people celebrate the abundance of trade that made the town so prosperous. This is indeed a worthy experience to indulge in if you’re staying on holidays in the Abruzzo region of Italy!

If you happen to be on holidays on the picturesque island of Sicily during the 12th to 14th of August then you're in for a treat! The most ancient Palio in Southern Italy is the “Palio dei Normanni” and it dedicates much time and effort to beautifully recreate an exciting piece of history in the city of Piazza Armerina.

With the support of Pope Nicholas II, two sons of a Norman king defeated the Saracens who ruled over the islands of Calabria and Sicily. This victory is the inspiration for the festival which has become one of Italy’s most treasured national events. Visiting one or all of these five most popular Palios would enrich any holiday to Italy and become a treasured souvenir among your vacation memories!