For Strength and for Love

Telling the Palio of Siena is not easy. Apparently it is a carousel of horses, an attraction for tourists who watch incredulously. Yet, after five hundred years, whether you love it or not, the Palio still speaks a lot about us Italians, even of those who don't wear a Contrada's handkerchief around the neck. Looking at the Sienese, I see that what really matters is that mixture of sacred and profane, the choirs between opposing peoples, the waiting, the silence before the move, the tumultuous moments of the race, the joy and tears. In the Palio you find the life of each Contrada, marked by the sense of belonging and brotherhood, taking care of the weakest and the ability to transmit these values to the new generations. There are ten small churches (those of the Contrade that will run the race) where a priest with a handkerchief blesses a horse and dismisses him, with his voice broken by emotion, calling him by name and saying: «Go! And come back as the winner! ». And finally you understand that to tell the Palio those few words sung by each Contrada are enough: "For strength and for love you must respect it!". The strength of one's identity and the love among sister Contrade which, together, bring the Palio to life and make Siena so unique.