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Grab yourself a late deal >The world-famous Palio race, Siena
One of the oldest and most legendary sporting events in the world will again be held in Siena this summer.
The Palio di Siena horse race is run twice yearly, on July 2nd and August 16th at the Piazza del Campo, the main square of the Tuscan city.
Following strict tradition, ten horses race each time, picked from the city's 17 contradas (wards) by lottery. The riders, dressed in the traditional colours of their ward, ride without saddles. After 90 seconds - three frenzied laps of the Piazza - the race has its winner, who is presented with the Palio (a silk banner) itself.
50,000 fervently partisan spectators - many of whom having staked a large sum on the race's outcome - pack the square, which was built on the site of the city's original Roman amphitheatre, to cheer on their favourites.
First run in 1656, both races were inaugurated in commemoration religious feast days, the first on the day of the Madonna of Provenzano and the second on the holiday of the Virgin Mary - although the races' well documented history of bribery, corruption, doping, family feuds and inter-contrada backstabbing somewhat contradicts their religious roots!
According to tradition, on the morning of the race each contrada's horse is led into its local church to be blessed, with the district's residents looking on. The race itself is preceded by a spectacular parade, again dating from medieval times.
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