Siena, one of the capitals of Italian art and a World Heritage city of Unesco, is known throughout the world not only for the Palio, but also for its unique beauty.

Being such a well preserved medieval town, Siena should be visited on foot in order to get the full experience of the true nature of its historical contents.

When speaking about Siena, it is virtually necessary to talk about the Palio due to its historical importance and influence in the Sinese tradition.  The horse race itself, including 10 of the 17 Contrade, takes place on July 2 and August 16 in Piazza del Campo, but the event of the Palio monopolizes the life of the city for several days beforehand. 

Each Contrada has its own headquarters, museum, oratory and a stall for the horse; all used in the days before the Palio, and some used even during the whole year.

 The social life of the city revolves around the 17 Contradas, or districts.  Each Contrada organizes exhibitions, conferences, sports tournaments, raffles, as well as lunches and dinners which are located directly in the city streets of the Society.