Skip to main content

LAST MINUTE PALIO TICKETS

Two elderly many reading the newspaper whilst waiting for the Palio horse race in Siena

Desperate for Palio tickets? 

They are hard to find unless you reserve them months or even years ahead. The easiest option is to join the rest of the crowd, who's watching the Palio for free from the middle of piazza del Campo, which is just the way most Sienese see the race. 

However, this year the municipality of Siena has 23 last minute tickets available for the Palio dell'Assunta 2015Prepare to stand in the queue for them, but with 150€ per ticket it's well worth the effort (seated tickets normally start from 250€ and go all the way up to 500€ per person). 

PALIO TICKETS: AUGUST 16, 2015

The tickets are for the seats on the palchetti, the seated wooden stages built up especially for the race all the way round piazza del Campo. The seats are located between via di Dupré and Casato di Sotto, which is a great area to observe the wheeling and dealing between the jockeys before the race. 

The Palio tickets are sold from 10 am on Saturday August 15 in Via Casato di Sotto (number 23) at Economato Office, access via the tipografia - a printing business - to the right. Make sure you are there way before 10 am or expect to join a long queue. Also, note that not more than two tickets can be bought per person. 

Good luck!

Find more information in Italian on the comune di Siena's Palio website and for a quick introduction to the world's oldest horse race read What is the Palio?


Popular posts from this blog

SIENA AND THE MONTE DEI PASCHI CRISIS

The world's oldest banking institute (founded in 1472) has made it into the media big time since 2012. But not because of its longevity.  Wondering what the financial nigh tmare is all about? I'm still trying to figure it out - just as everybody else who's living in Southern Tuscany.   The crisis of the Monte dei Paschi bank isn't just about MPS employers losing their jobs and museums their funding (which on its own is already bad enough). But it's also about research, universities and even kindergartens. Basically every age group in and around Siena will be affected in some way or another by the drying up of the streams of money that supported most social and cultural aspects of Southern Tuscany.  Right, I would look worried too. Palazzo Spannocchi, part of the MPS HQ in piazza Salimbeni Want to know more?  The art newspaper has published a well researched article in April, which explains some of the artier effects of the bank's crisis.  

BEST BIKE RENTAL IN SIENA

Villa Catignano: one of the many beautiful places an e-bike can get you to from Siena A few years ago, I interviewed an American writer , who during her month-long stay in Siena whizzed through the city on a bicycle. This was an unusual sight - vespas are the two-wheelers of choice in Siena's hilly town center, not bikes like in mostly flat Florence.  But the invention of e-bikes is about to change this. The city of Siena has installed an  electric bike sharing program which is functioning well. However, it's mostly aimed at locals and residents, as its set-up is a little complicated for visitors who only stay a couple of days in town. Hence, for tourists, the best bike rental options in Siena are with the privately owned shops which supply bycicles of every size and type for a day or two or an entire week.  Giulia from Julskitchen.com cycling through the hills of Siena Siena Bike Shop rents out racing bycicles, hybrid and e-bikes and is a great optio...

DRIVING IN ITALY AND ROAD FINES IN SIENA

Thought if the Italians do it, you can do it too? These were the good old times. Speeding, bad parking and drink-driving are no longer part of the Italian way of life. Okay, the rules of the road still aren't as strictly followed as in Northern Europe, but things have definitely changed during the past decade.  With driving being more strict now, it's only right that paying your fine should become easier too. Siena and many other of Italy's tourist destinations have finally installed online payment. Click through to the website of Siena's town council  to get done with it right away.