We all know Tuscany , but how do you discover the real off-the-beaten path Tuscany? With Spyns of course. Wander ancient villages and taste splendid chiantis during a week-long romp through Italy’s proud northwest. Gaze out the window of your private palazzo suite and wonder, “What century is this?” as church bells ring and cypress trees lazily sway in the morning breeze. From the countryside move on to splendid Siena for the Palio (pictured here), an ancient horse race that pits 10 city Contrade (districts) against each other in a no-holds-barred race. Watch the revelry from our private balcony with champagne glass in hand. In the evening, let our friend (and local nobleman) the Marchesi Ricci tell you the history of the palio before a formal dinner in his family's five-star hotel, Relais La Suvera. La dolce vita indeed . 

In Brief   

• Fully guided 
• Luxury hotels and inns   
• 7 days / 6 nights   
• Start: Florence / Finish: Florence  
• Destinations: Tuscany & Chianti: Villages of San Gimignano, Arezzo and Siena  
• Activites : Palio Horse Race, Optional Biking (2 days) Walking (2 days) Food & Wine  
• Price US$3500/person (based upon double occupancy)  
• Date: June 29-July 4; August 13-18, 2011

Need more info? Click this button for real-time answers to your questions from a Spyns team member.

Highlights  

•  See Siena’s Palio, Europe’s oldest, most exciting, and most corrupt horse race
• On the eve of the Palio race, dine with the locals in the narrow streets of Siena  
• Watch the Palio from our private balcony  
• Walk the cobble-stone streets of medieval San Gimignano and Arrezzo  
• Stay in the luxurious Relais La Suvera, one of Europe's most exclusive hotels  
• Enjoy a private cellar tour and a laugh with our friend Francesa in her family’s 17^th century castle hotel  
• Explore picture-perfect villages of Tuscany by bike, foot, or private van   

Detailed Itinerary 

Days 1 and 2: Transfer from unforgettable Florence to our luxury accommodations, Hotel Bel Soggiorno located right smack inside the medieval walls of San Gimignano. The hotel is managed by our good friends the Giglis. After a welcoming drink on the hotel terrace (with the best views in Tuscany ) enjoy two days touring the countryside by bike, foot, or private van. Join the group for an exclusive wine tasting or simply knock on a friendly door to discover wines with a paysan. 

Days 3 and 4: Travel south through picture-perfect fields of vines and haystacks, we reach our home for the next two days, you own private castle in the village of Arrezo . Share a drink with Francesca (the owner and local celebrity) as she explains her family palazzo’s history. Lounge poolside or join your guides for an historical tour of the surrounding villages and wineries. Dinner of hearty local delicacies both nights in the hotel’s restaurant: Gragone.  

Days 5 and 6: From the tranquil countryside, head to bustling Siena for the Palio horse race. Siena ’s many Contrade (districts) compete in this annual no-holds-barred race around the city’s central square. On the eve of the race, city streets are filled with tables, food and song as each district eagerly anticipates a win (or loss) the following day. On race day, watch the medieval procession, blessing and frenzied race from the safety of our balcony and cheer on your favorite district, complete with wine glass in hand. In the afternoon, explore Siena or take advantage of the many amenities at our five-star hotel, Relais La Suvera (room pictured here) where each room is overflowing with museum-quality antiques. All good things must come to an end but not before a formal send-off dinner in La Suvera’s gourmet restaurant. 

Day 7: Explore the hotel grounds, have a dip in the pool, or take another ride in the hills high around Siena before a shuttle to Florence and your final destination. La dolce vita.  

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR TO BOOK THIS TOUR CALL 888.825.4720OR EMAIL info@spyns.com



HISTORY OF THE PALIO

The Palio di Siena (known locally as the Palio delle Contrade), the most famous palio in Italy, is a horse race held twice each year on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, in which the horse and rider represent one of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards. A magnificent pageant precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world.Both horse and rider are dressed in the colours and arms of the Contrade: Aquila (Eagle), Bruco (Caterpillar), Chiocciola (Snail), Civetta (Owl), Drago (Dragon), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Porcupine), Leocorno (Unicorn), Lupa (She-Wolf), Nicchio (Shell), Oca (Goose), Onda (Wave), Pantera (Panther), Selva (Forest), Tartuca (Tortoise), Torre (Tower) and Valdimontone (Ram). 

Any connection with the sacred games of the ancient Romans being obscured by time, the earliest known antecedents of the race are medieval. The town's central piazza was the site of public games, largely combative: pugna, a sort of many-sided boxing match or brawl; jousting; and in the 16th century, bullfights. Public races organized by the Contrade were popular from the 14th century on; called palii alla lunga, they were run across the whole city. 

When the Grand Duke of Tuscany outlawed bullfighting in 1590, the Contrade took to organising races in the Piazza del Campo. The first such races were on buffalo-back and called bufalate; asinate, races on donkey-back, later took their place, while horse-racing continued elsewhere. The first modern Palio (called palio alla tonda to distinguish it from the earlier palii alla lunga) took place around 1650. At first, one race was held each year, on July 2; a second, on August 16, was added later. The first race (Palio di Provenzano) is held on July 2, which is both the Feast of the Visitation and the date of a local festival in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano (a painting once owned by the Sienese leader Provenzano Salvani, which was supposed to have miraculous curative power). The second race is held on August 16 (Palio dell'Assunta), the day after the Feast of the Assumption, and is likewise dedicated to the Virgin Mary. After exceptional events (e.g. the Apollo 11 moon landing) and on important anniversaries (e.g. the centennial of the Unification of Italy), the Sienese community may decide to hold a third Palio between May and September. 

The field consists of ten horses, which means that only ten of the city wards can take part in the Palio on any occasion. The seven wards which did not take part in the previous place are automatically included; three more are chosen randomly. Three days before the race, private owners offer the pick of their stables, from which representatives of the participating Contrade choose ten of approximately equal quality. A lottery then determines which horse will run for each Contrada. Six trial races are run, the first on the evening of the horse selection and the last on the morning before the Palio. The devout residents of each Contrada invoke the sacred aid of their patron saint on their horse and jockey. The race is preceded by a spectacular pageant, which includes (among many others) Alfieri, flag-wavers, in medieval costumes. Just before the pageant, a squad of carabinieri on horseback, wielding swords, demonstrate a mounted charge around the track. Spectators arrive early in the morning, eventually filling the centre of the town square, inside the track, to capacity; the local police seal the entrances once the festivities begin in earnest. Seats ranging from simple bleachers to elaborate box seats may be had for a price, but sell out long before the day of the race. The landlords of buildings overlooking the piazza sometimes stipulate that tenants must be absent on the day of the Palio, in order to rent the space to spectators. At 7.30 p.m. (July) / 7 p.m. (August), the detonation of an explosive charge echoes across the piazza, signaling to the thousands of onlookers that the race is about to begin. The race itself runs for three laps of the Piazza del Campo, the outer course of which is covered with several inches of dirt and the corners of which are protected with padded crash barriers for the occasion. The jockeys ride the horses bareback from the starting line, where there is only room for nine horses. The tenth, the rincorsa, stands behind those nine. The start is given by a local authority called Mossiere, who has to wait for all the horses to be in the correct position. When this moment is (with great difficulty) achieved, he activates a mechanism that instantly removes the canapo, the starting cord. 

On the dangerous steeply-canted track, the riders are allowed to use their whips not only for their own horse, but also for disturbing other horses and riders. The winner is the first horse to cross the finish line with its head ornaments intact — the rider does not necessarily need to finish, and often does not. The loser in the race is considered to be the Contrada whose horse came in second, not last. The winner is awarded a banner of painted silk, or palio, which is newly created for each race. The enthusiasm after the victory, however, is so extreme that the ceremony of attribution of the Palio is quite instantaneous, being the first moment of a months-long celebration for the winning ward. There are occasional outbreaks of violence between partisans of the various Contrade. 

There is some danger to spectators from the sheer number of people in attendance. There have also been complaints about mistreatment of horses, injuries and even deaths, especially from animal rights associations and even from some veterinarians. In the Palio held on August 16, 2004 the horse for the Contrada of the Bruco (Caterpillar) fell and was badly trampled as the race was not stopped, despite possible additional safety risks for other horses. The horse died of its injuries, raising further complaints from animal rights organizations. 

In the race of July 2006 the Palio was won by the Contrada of the Pantera after a gap of 12 years since their last victory. In the August 16 race, the Palio was won by Selva, the forest, who maintained a lead throughout most of the race.