The Palio dell'Assunta, probably the most famous horse race in the world, has just ended in Siena, in the marvelous Piazza del Campo, and is held as usual every 16th August. The Palio is not just a race, for the city of Siena it is the event of the year accompanied by the total emotional and practical involvement of the competing districts and also constitutes a formidable tourist attraction for fans from all over the world who flock to the Tuscan city.
The origins of the Palio date back to centuries ago and have their roots in Siena's deep devotion to the Madonna, well illustrated by numerous works of art; the Palio di Siena therefore becomes an event that includes the sporting-competitive aspect with the rivalry between the districts, the religious aspect with the great devotion to the Madonna, the intrinsic historical-cultural aspect and the aforementioned tourist attraction.
The traditional race of the Palio della Madonna dell'Assunta consists of three laps of the Piazza del Campo: it starts from the Mossa, formed by two ropes within which the nine districts are arranged in an order established by drawing lots. When the last one enters, the one defined as "running up", the canape is lowered and the race can begin. The contrada whose horse, with or without a jockey, will be the first to finish the three laps will be the winner.
During the six days preceding the Palio, the rehearsals of the actual race of 16 August take place. In each edition of the Palio only ten of the 17 contrade of Siena participate, the seven that did not run the August Palio in the previous year to which three are added drawn from the ten that participated; this time the Tartuca, the Pantera, the Porcupine, the Giraffa, the Drago, the Selva, the Valdimontone, the Civetta, the Leocorno and the Onda take part in the competition.
Each ward is assigned for one horse out of ten selected from those eligible. The assignment is made on the morning of August 13 for the Palio dell'Assunta: it is the so-called Tratta, the first appointment of a festival that lasts four days.
The actual race for the assignment of the Palio is preceded by a procession called Historic Walk in which over 600 participants representing the 17 Contrade and with institutions of the ancient Republic of Siena participate; the procession winds from Piazza del Duomo in the early afternoon, and passes through some streets of the city center before ending in Piazza del Campo. The prize awarded is the Palio, or Drappellone, produced every year by an artist chosen by the Municipality. A highly coveted prize that the district that will win will keep it forever in its museum.
Valdimontone surprisingly won the Palio dell'Assunta with the horse Lo Specialista led by the jockey Jonatan Bartoletti, known as Scompiglio. The move was laborious, but well guided by the mover Bartolo Ambrosion, at the canapo the nine districts Drago, Valdimontone, Pantera, Istrice, Onda, Giraffa, Selva, Leocorno, Tartuca and in the run-up to the Civetta district.
At the start, the Valdimontone immediately took the lead followed by the Pantera, in the first curve of San Martino the fall of the Dragon caused the fall of the districts of the Wave, the Giraffa, the Pantera, the Civetta and the Porcupine while the Valdimontone continued undaunted his own race.
Although his own district was not among the favorites, Scompiglio led his horse, The Specialist, in a masterly way with great determination and strategy, fully exploiting the excellent move starting in the lead and always tightening in the curves, preventing the overtaking of the other horses and succeeding to resist the assaults of the districts of Tartuca, Leocorno and Selva who for the entire race did everything to overcome it.
At the end of the race, a big party in the Valdimontone district that had not won the Palio since August 16, 1990.
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