Events
Siena and Surroundings
The Best Western Hotel San Marco, a modern 3-star hotel in Siena, invites you to discover and participate in events in the city.
Exhibitions, art, events, culture and much more: Siena awaits you with lots of activities!
Staying at the Hotel San Marco in Siena, you can easily reach all the other wonders of the area: from the Sienese countryside to the many small historic villages that enliven the Chianti valley.
The staff at Hotel San Marco will be your point of contact for hiring knowledgeable and competent tour guides who can arrange itineraries and scenic routes within the city, as well as trips and excursions outside the city to the nearby Chianti and Crete Senesi areas, Valdichiana and Val d’Orcia.
The centre can be reached on foot or more comfortably by taxi or bus, which runs every 15 minutes to the Duomo or Piazza di Indipendenza (parallel to Piazza Del Campo) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the hotel or at any tobacco shop.
The Palio is a complex event organised by the Municipality of Siena.
Ten of the 17 districts compete in the Palio on 2 July, the seven that did not compete in the Palio in July of the previous year, plus three drawn from among the ten that did compete.
The draw takes place on the last Sunday in May. Similarly, for the Palio on 16 August, the draw for the three takes place on the first Sunday after the Palio in July.
The 10 Contrade participate in the Palio race with a horse that is assigned to them by drawing lots from a selection of horses chosen from among those that are physically fit.
The suitability tests and the assignment of horses take place three days before the Palio (on the morning of 29 June and 13 August for the two races respectively); before the Palio, six trial races are held (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) during which the jockey (chosen by the Contrada) familiarises himself with the horse.
You can watch the trial races and the Palio by paying to access the stands (balconies) set up around the square or the windows and balconies overlooking it, or free of charge from inside the square.
The Palio race is preceded by a parade (Passeggiata Storica) involving over 600 participants representing the 17 Contrade and institutions of the ancient Republic of Siena. The parade starts from Piazza del Duomo in the early afternoon and winds its way through several streets in the city centre before arriving in Piazza del Campo.
The actual race consists of riding around Piazza del Campo three times, which has been suitably prepared and equipped for the purpose, riding bareback (without a saddle).
(Source: www.comune.siena.it)