What a tourist must NOT do during the 4 days of Palio?
For the Sienese the days of the Palio are days of celebration, but full of tension too; therefore it’s wise in certain situations to exercise a bit of caution. In particular: – Do not try in any way to get close to the horses. – Do not disturb Contrada members in moments of major tension: while they are taking the horse to the trial races, in the minutes immediately preceding the race, after the race if they are disappointed or angry. – In Piazza, do not pull children up on your shoulders: this blocks people’s views (in general, it is not advisable to bring small children into the Piazza, on account of the huge crowd). – Do not sarcasticly make comments on the tenseness of the Contrada members while the race is imminent and do not complai impatiently if the start of the race drags on for a long time before getting underway. – If some Contrada members ask you to move away from an area, follow their advises.
