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How to buy tickets
to the Palio
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER
10 YEARS OF AGE. THE TRIAL RACES LEADING UP TO THE PALIO ARE EVEN
LESS SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN AS THEY CAN GET VERY ROWDY.
Make Il Palio an experience you’ll never forget. Take your place among our excellent seats in the southwest corner of the Campo. These reserved seats are in the bleachers or on the terrace, and you'll be pleased to know that this is the first corner of the Campo to receive the afternoon shade. Because Il Palio is one of the most popular events in the world, and because there is a very limited number of seats available to the public, these tickets always sell quickly. Our Palio package also includes a pageant program, a street map of Siena, local restaurant suggestions, and a witty insider’s explanation of each exciting phase of Il Palio. Attendance at the rehearsal banquet is optional.
If you're interested in attending the Palio, you have two basic options:
- You can stand in the Piazza. The advantages are that it is free of charge and it gives you a great opportunity to mix with the locals.
Since the Piazza is raked, almost anywhere you stand affords a good vantage point for most of the race. The disadvantages are that since the race track actually encloses the Piazza, the fences are closed before the pageant (about 4:30) and it is impossible to leave until the race is completed (about 8:00). Also, the Piazza is in the sun most of the afternoon, so if you do choose this option, be sure to take along a parasol or at least a hat to cool you off.
- We offer reservations with full sight lines facing the Campo front-on. These are all in private homes owned by people who have been hosting our guests for years now and include, for 2009:
From our terrace |
- One row of numbered seats on the terrace above the entrance to the Campo. You are seated directly
above the staging area for the procession, which means you not only see the whole
race but you can also see the pageant participants close up as they prepare to
enter the Campo. This part of the Campo gets the shade earliest, and you have
access to a private apartment with a bathroom and light refreshments.
- One row of reserved standing room spots on the terrace above the Campo. This may not sound
like a great option, but it is just slightly inferior to the one above, because you can freely come and go
into the apartment to sit down, and for a good part of the pageant and during the entire race, everyone on
the terrace is on their feet anyway! Again, you are directly above the staging area for the procession, which
means you not only see the whole race but you can also see the pageant participants close up as they prepare
to enter the Campo. This part of the Campo gets the shade earliest, and you have access to a private apartment
with a bathroom and light refreshments.
- Three
windows for two people each in a private home above or below the terrace. One window is on the third floor
and two windows are on the first floor. Naturally, your hosts offer bathroom facilities and light refreshments.
From our bleachers |
- Numbered seats in the bleachers above the Campo. These seats are
in the part of the Campo that gets the shade earliest, they have perfect sight lines, and they are a lot of
fun because most of the bleachers are filled with locals, whereas the terrace is exclusively for our clients.
There is no access to a private bathroom or refreshments, and moving around during the event is discouraged,
but there is a restaurant behind the bleachers with a bathroom you may use.
All our seats and windows are sold first-come-first-served, so we urge you to request price and booking information as soon as you can. Reservations are made pending full non-refundable payment by Visa or Mastercard. At that time we will mail you a Palio packet with a program, instructions, map and much more useful information. If your first choice is not available we will ask you before booking any alternative.
