The beautiful town of Colle Val d ‘Elsa situated between Florence and Siena is completing the final preparations to take you back in time this upcoming weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday July 2 and 3, 2011 the medieval village will host “The Renaissance of Colle – History, Festivals and Battles between 1479 and 1592”.

During the two days, starting at 5pm up until midnight all streets, squares, shops and public places in Colle Val d ‘Elsa will become the setting for the celebration of the Renaissance, one of the city’s most important historical periods.

It will be an unique opportunity to see Colle Val d’ Elsa come alive with characters in Renaissance dress, skillful jugglers, fabulous musicians, street performers and actors entertaining and engaging the public from later afternoon until midnight.

Throughout the weekend the jester Il Giullar Cortese will entertain you with his improvisations in rhyme, while the jugglers I Giullari del Diavolo and the shows of Zorba Officine Creative will recreate the atmosphere of long ago markets and fairs. On Sunday the Errabundi Musici group will play their medieval music and take you back in time.

Definitely do not miss the performances of the Compagnia La Giostra, a small but amazing group that will thrill you with its lively music and fun parodies.

There is much more: presentations of traditional crafts from the period, taverns and banquets serving both drinks and dishes from the era to allow you to rediscover ancient flavors, then markets and re-enactments of historical battles.

The “Renaissance of Colle” will entertain everyone of all ages, children in particular can participate in several hands-on workshops dedicated only to youngest.

During the festival the Archaeological Museum, the Diocesan Museum, the Cathedral and the Crypt of Mercy and other churches located in Colle Val d’ Elsa’s historical center will remain open to visitors with longer opening times.

Admission fee: € 9 full ticket, € 6 reduced, free entrance for children under 12 years. More details on the festival can be found on the official website.

Are you ready to go step back in time? We’re headed to Colle Val D ‘Elsa this coming up weekend so see you there!

If you are in Siena over the next few months, take advantage of the special opening to the public of the Palazzo Chigi Saracini, a beautiful medieval palace in the center of Siena normally closed to the public as it houses the Chigiana Musical Academy.

In an attempt to share its extraordinary art collection and offer a glimpse of the internal medieval architecture of the palace, the Academy has set aside a few days a week to open the palace to visitors during certain periods of the year.

This year up until October 30th (but again from December 26 to January 6, 2011 if you are here during the holiday season), the Gothic palace built in the 12th century and a part of its impressive art collection can be visited with the benefit of the useful explanations only a tour guide can offer.

While the palace was built by the Marescotti family, it was Galgano Saracini that started his private art collection between the 17th and 18th centuries. He collected art paintings, statues, bas reliefs, ceramics, precious items made of ivory, wood and semiprecious stones. The collection is quite eclectic but all periods are represented, from the Renaissance up to the 18th century and include works by Botticelli, Sodoma, Beccafumi and Sassetta.

Guided visits will last an hour and are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 11am, 12pm, 3pm and 4pm. The visit costs 7 euro but students, groups and seniors over 65 will receive a discount. To book your visit, you can email siena.palazzochigisaracini@operalaboratori.com or call +39 0577 286300 Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Or you can pass by the Chigiana Music Shop located on the ground floor of the palace and see if last minute spaces are still available.

The palace will be open for visits on May 1, in case you’re in Siena this coming up weekend. We hope you enjoy this treasure in Siena!

The Civetta or Owl contrada won the race after a 30 year dry spell. No other contrada had waited so long for such a sweet victory. One could say that nature just took its course: running after sunset helped the nocturnal creature as it entered the race at its prime time for activity.
The contrada, known as the “prior” district for having hosted the priors of the districts during a time of conflict with city hall in 1887, was also able to secure victory thanks to the ability of its jockey in taking the spot assigned to the Unicorn, its great rival, and then in masterly handling the experienced horse it had received through lottery.

Lots of cheer and celebration continues to take place in this small district, while the Porcupine district smiles at the fact that their rival, the Wolf, now has the honor of wearing the “cuffia”, or grandmother’s bonnet, symbol of the unhappy distinction of going the longest time without wins.
The Wave flipped out at the mossiere for allowing the start of race to be valid while their horse was turned in the opposite direction and now gnaws over its misfortune and the teasing of all its adversaries.

The mossiere seems to hold too little power and for the last few races seems to not have any control over the behavior of the jockeys. In the interest of the Palio, some procedures should be adopted to counteract their behaviors, such as hitting them with economic fines or excluding them from the next race.

Even if Sienese might consider this a blasphemy (for which we excuse ourselves beforehand), we propose the drastic idea of penalizing misbehaving contrade by making them start the race from the second row – where the Wave found itself just the other day but facing the right way. This  might just prove to be the right deterrent to the jockeys that keep ignoring the calls of the mossiere.

In the meantime, there is talk in Siena of celebrating in using the two Palios of 2010 to celebrate the 750th anniversary of their victory at the Battle of Monteaperti over the Florentines. Sienese can certainly gloat over a victory for a very long time. We’d like to bet that the drappellone or prize for the Palio will certainly not be painted by an artist from the city of the Lily as it was this past edition.

Siena's Campo: the Palio race is run around its perimeter

Today, Thursday August 13 the only flower which grows on tufo, or tuff rock began to bloom: the Palio di Siena.

This is an evergreen plant which blooms only twice a year, once being at the height of summer on the 16th of August for the feast of the Virgin Mary’s Assumption. The flower emanates an intoxicating, giddy perfume for local residents and visitors alike.

The Palio is not a sporting event, and it isn’t just a horse race. The event is a tournament from the past that continues to still evoke great passion in the people of Siena. You have to see it to believe it.

Today, Fortune has assigned the horses to each contrada, or district, within the city. It is yet again Fortune, supreme lord of the Palio, that has also decided to place 4 sets of bitter enemies on the square: Porcupine and Wolf, Wave and Tower, Eagle and Panther, and Owl and Unicorn. The Giraffe and the Snail, which complete the line-up, will be courted by all the others and might even have an advantage in the race for not having a sworn enemy running in the same race.

The best horses are those which have already run a past race on the magnificent square in the heart of Siena and which have been assigned to the Giraffe, Eagle, Owl and Unicorn districts. All the others will be debuting on Sunday. The outcome of this Palio race is uncertain and challenging as a consequence of the decision by the captains of each of the districts to not allow horses which have won past editions compete (the “bomboloni” horses, as they’re called by Siena residents).

Running in this edition are the two districts that hold the record for longest time without a win: the Owl district has not won a Palio in 30 years and thus unhappily can boast of the title of “grandmother” while the Wolf district has not won in 20 years and thus wants to avoid inhering the “bonnet” if the Owl were to to win.

This Palio presents another unique characteristic: the beautiful drappellone, or large painted drape that is the prize that goes to the winning district has been designed and painted by a Florentine artist!

We weren’t there but we are pretty sure there were a few seconds delay in the applause that met the presentation of the work of art a few days ago given the long, ancient animosity between the two cities and its citizens.

The “waltz” of the mounts or assassins (as the horse jockeys are called) and the agreements and understandings for and against other districts has begun. Nowhere else in Italy is a rule more broken (and even experience in breaking it is boasted of) than Article 89 of the Palio regulation that says: any type of direct agreement or understanding to allow one district to win over another is strictly forbidden.

But if all rules were to be respected, but sort of tournament would it be?

So goodbye and arriverderci on the afternoon of the 16th when even, a popular saying recites, souls from past Sienese have special permission to watch the show from heaven. A note of warning to all visitors: it is necessary to see the Palio in order to start understanding it but that isn’t enough, you need to live it. If you are planning to attend, make sure to see if you can gain access to some of the other ceremonial rites surrounding the Palio that take place in each of the competing districts. That’s where the heart of the Palio resides.