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In ancient Rome, games and gladiatorial combat were quite commonplace. According to legend, the twins Romulus and Remus, suckled by a she-wolf, founded Rome. Romulus killed his twin brother, Remus; Remus' two sons, Senus and Aschius, fearing for their lives, fled north from Rome and came to an Etruscan village built on 3 hills which they eventually named after themselves (SENus and Aschius - Sena, the Latin name for Siena). They introduced to Sena Vetus (Siena) a number of so-called ludic games similar to the gladiatorial games of Rome, their natal city. Some of these games, which were actually mock battles, such as the elmora (a type of joust) and the battaglia de' sassi (a battle of hurling rocks at one's opponents) laid the foundations for the palio, a name coming from the Latin "pallium", meaning "cloth", since the prize originally consisted of a piece of valuable cloth awarded to the victorious contrada, one of the seventeen districts into which the city is divided. The name "palio" therefore refers both to the race itself as well as to the prize awarded to the winning district. These districts, or "contrade" as they are called in Italian, were at one time military companies whose main responsibilities consisted of defending the various holdings and territories of the Republic of Siena. Back in the 11th Century there were about 80 such districts. After the horrendous Black Plague of 1348 many of them disappeared or were incorporated into other districts, eventually numbering 42. In 1729 Violanta di Baviera, who ruled Siena at that time, decreed that the number of districts would be fixed at 17, which is what it remains to this day. The first references to an actual palio race, the so-called "palio alla lunga", or "straight-line palio", since it was run in a straight line, go back to the beginning of the 14th Century. In 1555 the Republic of Siena was defeated by Florentine forces with the aid of Spanish mercenaries. The military societies were disbanded but the Florentines allowed the defeated Sienese to retain the symbols and organizations of their societies, which evolved into the present-day contrade. The focus of the city then turned to within, so that the former "straight-line" palio became the "palio alla rotonda", or "palio in the round" which was raced in the Piazza del Campo, Siena's main square. This first "palio in the round" was raced in 1597 and it has continued in basically the same form up to the present day. The Palio is raced every year on July 2 and August 16 and in each race the number of participating districts is 10, with the remaining seven racing the following year. A special drawing called the "estrazione" takes place at least 30 days prior to each palio to determine which of the previous year's 10 districts will be drawn to become the 8th, 9th and 10th participants of the current year.

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Q: How did the Palio DI Siena start?
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What has the author Riccardo Brogi written?

Riccardo Brogi has written: 'Il palio di Siena' -- subject(s): Palio Festival, Siena, Italy, Palio di Siena


Where is il palio di siena held?

siena


How many people attend the Palio di Siena?

1000000


Where is the annual Il Palio horserace held?

The Il Palio di Siena is a horse race held twice a year, in July, then again in August. It happens in the Tuscan city of Siena.


What are the dates of the Palio in Sienna 2009?

The Palio of Siena (Palio di Siena) is held every year on July 2nd and August 16th. This year, 2009, a third Palio might be run sometimes in September (Palio straordinario). The date will be officialised later in Febraury. For more information please visit www.palio.org/ www.jacopodellatorre.com/


Italian horse race city?

Siena Italy. It is the home of the Palio Di Siena, which takes place twice a year, on July 2 and August 16th.


What city is where the Palio takes place?

Siena


What colors are the flag of lupa on July 2 and August 16?

The flag is black, white and orange because of the Palio di Siena, a horse race


Which contrada won the 2010 palio in siena Italy?

I don't see the relationship with soccer, but anyway... The July 2010 Palio in Siena was won by "Contrada della Selva" (Forest).


Which contrada won the 2009 palio in siena Italy?

There are two Palios in Siena each year. In 2009, on July 2nd, the Palio was won by Contrada della Tartuca (turtle); on August 16th, the Palio was won by Contrada della Civetta (owl).


What has the author Lucio Pugliese written?

Lucio Pugliese has written: 'Siena e il suo Palio' -- subject(s): Comic books, strips, History, Palio Festival, Siena, Italy


What does the winner of Il Palio di Siena receive?

The winning "contrada" (neighbourhood) receives the "Palio", a painted silk banner (there's a different one each time, painted by a different artist). The winning jockey usually gets very well paid by the contrada.