We had happened to be in Siena on the day of the Palio, a fiercely competitive horserace. After visiting Il Campo where preparations were being made for the race later in the day, we found ourselves back at the piazza in front of the Duomo where the procession of the Contrades, representatives of Siena’s seventeen regions, and the skillful flag twirling events were in full swing. The colourful procession continued for another hour and by then we’d had enough of the jostling crowds. Since we … [Read more...]