Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate some event or tradition of the Middle Ages and thus often involve
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
,
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
, jousting, crossbow shooting, and similar medieval sports. Once purely a matter of local rivalries, many have now become events that are staged with an eye to visitors and foreign tourists.
The Palio di Siena is the only one that has been run without interruption since it started in the 1630s and is definitely the most famous all over the world. Its historical origins are documented since 1239 even though the version seen today was the final evolution of races held from the second half of the 16th century. In 1935, Italian Prime Minister
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
sent out an official declaration that only the one of Siena could bring the designation of Palio. All other horse races held in various parts of Italy are actually just modern reenactments. After the Second World War, nevertheless, many other palios arose throughout the various regions of Italy, which could be considered just attempts of imitation of the Palio di Siena. Here is an incomplete list:
St. Anthony the Abbot
Anthony the Great ( grc-gre, Ἀντώνιος ''Antṓnios''; ar, القديس أنطونيوس الكبير; la, Antonius; ; c. 12 January 251 – 17 January 356), was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is d ...
Castel del Piano
Castel del Piano is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) of Province of Grosseto in the Tuscany, central Italy.
History
The area of Castel del Piano is known to have been inhabited in prehistoric times, but the town itself is mentioned for th ...
, racing on September 8
*
Palio delle Contrade
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
, in
Faella
Faella is a frazione of Pian di Scò in the Province of Arezzo in the Italy, Italian region Tuscany, located about 30 km southeast of Florence and about 35 km northwest of Arezzo, in the Valdarno.
Faella borders the following municipa ...
Casole d'Elsa
Casole d'Elsa kaːzoleis a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about west of Siena.
Main sights
The church of ''San Niccolò'', of Romanesque origin, has ...
Palio di Fucecchio
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
Palio della Costa Etrusca
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
Faella
Faella is a frazione of Pian di Scò in the Province of Arezzo in the Italy, Italian region Tuscany, located about 30 km southeast of Florence and about 35 km northwest of Arezzo, in the Valdarno.
Faella borders the following municipa ...
Palio di San Luca
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Corsa a vuoto
The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrolet ...
Palio del Tirreno
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Castel Madama
Castel Madama is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region of Lazio, located about east of Rome.
International relations
Castel Madama is twinned with:
* Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde (; french: Audenarde ; in English ...
Palio di San Matteo
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Campagnano di Roma
Campagnano di Roma is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about northwest of Rome. It was first mentioned in 1076, having been carved out of the great estate assembled on the Roman p ...
Selci Selci may refer to:
* Selci, Italy, a municipality in Rieti, Lazio
* Selci, Struga, a village in North Macedonia
* Selci, Bizovac, a village near Bizovac, Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia
* Selci Đakovački, a village in Osijek-Baranja County, Cr ...
Carosello Storico dei Rioni
''Carosello'' () was an Italian television advertising show broadcast on RAI from 1957 to 1977. The series mainly showed short sketch comedy films using live action, various types of animation, and puppetry. It had an audience of about 20 milli ...
of
Cori
Cori or CORI may refer to:
* Cori cycle, the metabolic pathway where lactic acid produced in the muscles is converted into glucose in the liver
* Cori (lunar crater)
* Cori, a crater on Venus
* Cori (name)
* ''Cori, de Scheepsjongen'' (''Cori, the ...
Carpineto Romano
Carpineto Romano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome.
It is the birthplace of Pope Leo XIII.
Carpineto Romano borders the following municipalities: Bassian ...
Palio della Valle Olona
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
Palio di S.Pietro
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Rho
Rho (uppercase Ρ, lowercase ρ or ; el, ρο or el, ρω, label=none) is the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 100. It is derived from Phoenician letter res . Its uppercase form uses the sa ...
Palio di Asti
The Palio di Asti (or ''Palio Astese'' in its most archaic nomenclature) is a traditional Italian festival of medieval origin that culminates with a bareback horse race.
The race has been run each year since the 13th century. The earliest record, ...
Palio storico dei Borghi di Avigliana
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
Cagliari
Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitant ...
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...
Sassari
Sassari (, ; sdc, Sàssari ; sc, Tàtari, ) is an Italian city and the second-largest of Sardinia in terms of population with 127,525 inhabitants, and a Functional Urban Area of about 260,000 inhabitants. One of the oldest cities on the island, ...
* Palio di Feltre First Sunday in August. Horse race and Archery contest
*
Palio dei 10 Comuni del Montagnanese
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
, at
Montagnana
Montagnana is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Padova, in Veneto (northern Italy). Neighbouring communes are Borgo Veneto, Casale di Scodosia, Urbana, Bevilacqua, Pojana Maggiore, Pressana, Minerbe and Roveredo di Guà. , the populati ...
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno (; la, Asculum; dialetto ascolano: Ascule) is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is around 46,000 but the urban area of the city has more than 93,000.
Geo ...
Palio dei Castelli
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio di Ferrara
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
, Last Sunday in May
*
Palio del Maggio
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
, at
Savigno
Savigno is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Valsamoggia in the Province of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southwest of Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; ...
in May.
*
Palio delle contrade
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
in
San Secondo Parmense
San Secondo Parmense ( Sansecondino: or ; Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northwest of Parma.
San Secondo Parmense borders ...
*
Palio di Parma
The Palio di Parma is a festival that is held once a year in the northern Italian town of Parma, and traces back to the ancient "Scarlet Run".
,
*
Palio del Niballo
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
, at
Faenza
Faenza (, , ; rgn, Fènza or ; la, Faventia) is an Italian city and comune of 59,063 inhabitants in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated southeast of Bologna.
Faenza is home to a historical manufacture of majolica-ware glazed eart ...
Palio dell'Ascensione
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio di San Vincenzo
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Pignola
Pignola is an Italian town in the province of Potenza in Basilicata. It borders to the east with Anzi, to the south-west with Abriola, to the west with Tito and to the north with Potenza
Potenza (, also , ; , Potentino dialect: ''Putenz'') i ...
, on January 17, a race with Horses, donkeys and mules
Abruzzo
*
Palio della Giostra Cavalleresca
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
Palio della Giostra Cavalleresca
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
Palio della Giostra Cavalleresca
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
Palo del Colle
Palo del Colle ( Palese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located ...
Corsa cogli Asini
The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall Motors, Va ...
of
Dairago
Dairago ( lmo, Dairagh or , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan.
Dairago borders the following municipalities: Busto Arsizio, Legnano, Magnago, Vill ...
Palio del Cinghiale
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
, in
Cesano Boscone
Cesano Boscone ( lmo, Cesan ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southwest of Milan.
Cesano Boscone borders the following municipalities: Milan, Corsico, Trezzano sul Nav ...
Piedmont
*Palio degli Asini di Alba in Alba
*Palio degli Asini di Cocconato in Cocconato
*Palio degli Asini di Quarto d'Asti in Quarto d'Asti
*Paglio ragliante di Calliano in Calliano
* Palio dei Borghi in
Venaria
Venaria Reale ( pms, La Venerìa) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northwest of Turin.
Venaria Reale borders the municipalities of Robassomero, Caselle Torinese, Druent ...
Toscana
*
Palio dei Ciuchi
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
of
Campagnatico
Campagnatico is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about northeast of Grosseto in the valley of the Ombrone River.
History
The town was founded as a fief of ...
Palio dei Ciuchi
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio dei somari
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio dei somari
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
of
Torrita di Siena
Torrita di Siena is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region of Tuscany, located about southeast of Florence and about southeast of Siena.
Torrita di Siena borders the following municipalities: Cortona, Montep ...
*
Palio dei Somari
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio dei somarelli
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
of
Vallerona
Vallerona is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Roccalbegna, province of Grosseto, in the southern area of Mount Amiata. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 219.Il Palio di Somma Vesuviana", second Sunday in September
* "
Palio del casale
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Cuccaro Vetere
Cuccaro Vetere ( Cilentan: ''Cuccare'') is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy.
References
Cities and towns in Campania
Localities of Cilento
{{Campania-geo-stub ...
.
Lazio
*
Palio delle Contrade
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio delle Contrade
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
of
Allumiere
Allumiere (Romanesco dialect, Romanesco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italy, Italian region Latium, located about northwest of Rome.
Allumiere is traditionally divided into the ''contrada, contrade'' of ...
Palio del Somaro
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio di Ferrara
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
*
Palio di Parma
The Palio di Parma is a festival that is held once a year in the northern Italian town of Parma, and traces back to the ancient "Scarlet Run".
* Palio dei Borghi di Fagagna, second Sunday in September.
Palios with boat races (''Palii remieri'')
Tuscany
*
Palio dell'Argentario
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio di San Ranieri
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
Palio Marinaro di San Pietro
The Palio Marinaro di San Pietro is a sporting event of historical re-enactment, established in 1955.
History
The Palio founded in 1955 just like the Regatta of the Historical Marine Republics.
The Comune of Genoa equipped each of the coastal ...
Palio del Golfo
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
, at
La Spezia
La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy.
La Spezia is the second largest city ...
Regata Storica
The Fiat Regata is an automobile produced by Italian automaker Fiat Automobiles, Fiat from 1983 until 1990. The Regata name was used for the sedan (car), sedan and station wagon versions of the Fiat Ritmo hatchback, corresponding to the post-face ...
, in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
Palio di San Giorgio
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
, in
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label= Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popul ...
Gaeta
Gaeta (; lat, Cāiēta; Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a city in the province of Latina, in Lazio, Southern Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples.
The town has played a consp ...
Assisi
Assisi (, also , ; from la, Asisium) is a town and ''comune'' of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio.
It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Propertius, born aroun ...
, a crossbow competition
*
Palio dei Terzieri
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
Palio di San Donato
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a '' comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate s ...
, in Cividale del Friuli, last Sunday in August, an archery contest
* Palio of Cordovado, first Sunday of September, an archery contest with a medieval costume parade
Palio della Marciliana
Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...