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Join my online meeting: The Palio in Siena with a Contrada member
July 12, 2020 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm UTC+1
The Palio in Siena
Interview with a Contrada member
Sunday July 12 at 6pm Rome //12pm NY // 9am LA
Duration: 1hr
To join us please sign up and you will receive the meeting password
To say it in the words of the Sieneses «The Palio is the culmination of our life. It’s what we dream about for the whole year. It’s what we sing for, what we suffer and cry for. There is nothing else in the world that can give us the same joy!»
The Palio in Siena is much more than a horse race, it is sense of community, solidarity, identity, tradition, life. It is a world-unique tradition that embraces the daily life of the Sieneses.
This year, due to the global pandemic, both the July 2nd and August 16th 2020 Palios will not take place. The last time this happened was during World War I (1915-1918) and World War II (1940-1944). However the Palio, which finds its roots in the XIII century, is today stronger than ever.
We will meet Gene, a member of the Torre (Tower) Contrada . Gene is originally from Calabria (Southern Italy) but has become a very active and passionate Contrada member. He is the Coordinator of the Solidarity Commission (“Commissione di Mutuo Soccorso”), and a member of the group responsible for the Contrada Museum. We will talk about the daily life of the Contradas, the emotions before and during the Palio, feelings about having no Palio this year, and what it’s like to be (or become) a Contrada member.