A maddening, twice-annual horse race held in Siena\'s Public square, the Palio is less a sport than it is a game--one that involves a combination of bare-back riding skills, human deal-making, and a large dose of fate.
The Palio can therefore confuse short-term visitors who see little more t.
The 90-second race and the rituals that surround it have continued largely uninterrupted since the 1500s, serving as the primary source of identity for the city\'s 17 neighborhoods, or contrade .
A maddening, twice-annual horse race held in Siena\'s Public square, the Palio is less a sport than it is a game--one that involves a combination of bare-back riding skills, human deal-making, and a large dose of fate