the Palio (horse race) in Siena

16th August is the last Trial and the "Palio", or horse race in the Piazza del Campo.

This is tonight and access to the town piazza will be closed from 4pm, with only one access gate open until 6pm. The races start at about 7pm.

We want to be parked and in the piazza at about 5 or at the latest 5.30pm, so we hang about the campsite, reading and generally waiting for the time to leave.

We were told by the campsite reception that we should aim to be at the gates to the centre of town, - il Campo, by 5pm and the race would start at 7pm. We only left the campsite at 5pm, and discovered we could park only at some distance from the main gate so it was a long walk, with thousands joining us, so that by the time we approached the only gate in, the crowd looked like this behind us,

And like this in front of us as we were trying to get into the square.....

And it was 5.30 by the time we got into the main square, being squeezed like sardines all the way in, and it got worse once we were in the square. Holding Carol’s belt to ensure we were not pushed apart, we had no option but to sway with the pushing and shoving, just like the London underground at rush hour, but for 300 metres deep. It was so hot in the square, and few people had brought water, as it felt cool in the streets. The smell of human bodies, and wall to wall 37 degrees of heat, the only relief was the open sky, and the air above us.

The riders and their flags are paraded first, taking about an hour. Each rider has their own horse and accompanying parade of flags and trumpets.

During which time, it got hotter and hotter with the press  of bodies around us.

Some of the horses were composed, and others appeared quite flighty, needing caref on the reign.

We got a spectacular view of the race, or rather I did, since Carol fainted in the crowd, and we were taken to a spot adjacent to the track!

The race itself lasted all of 90 seconds or so, with three laps of the Piazza, and at least one rider came off - you can see the riderless horse at the end of this group coming around the corner.

When Carol fainted for the first time it was about 6.45pm, and somehow the crows opened up enough for her to lie down with someone holding her legs up so blood could get to her face, and water immediately appeared to soak her face, then her T shirt. She came round immediately, and the crowd opened a parting to allow us to get up and then go towards the edge of the crowd for more air.

However it did not stop her feeling faint, and she was again looking white, just as the race was about to start. Paramedics arrived and escorted us both to an area within the race circle, but right at the edge, and Carol was then lying down on a stretcher as the race began. I had no option but to divide my attention between the horses galloping around, with a great view, and with Carol, who appeared to be much better lying down, with no crush of people around her, and her legs elevated.

Then, as soon as the race was over the paramedics escorted her out of the arena, and I had to wait a couple of minutes to follow her with another paramedic to a first aid station in a nearby launderette. There Carol was put on a monitor, and given a litre of saline IV and an ECG while she gradually recovered and her BP rose to normal!

Having been given strict instructions to “return to your hotel so your wife can lie down”, we went to a nearby restaurant and had two pizzas, and a salad and two very large cokes. I had donated my dry T shirt to Carol, so she could remove the water soaked T shirt she was wearing, and fortunately we both had lightweight leather jackets for the ride home! Carol said that she had felt fine as soon as she was lying down and with some air around her, and somewhat annoyed to have missed the entire race.. well it was over in 90 seconds, and I think most of the crowd in the centre missed seeing anything too!

I had asked the paramedic attending Carol how many people were in the square watching the race, and he estimated five thousand in the square, and another five thousand or so in the streets around the square, and Siena is not a large town.