1 · The short answer

The Palio di Siena is a horse race run twice a year in Piazza del Campo, on 2 July and on 16 August. Each race is run by jockeys riding bareback for some of the city's contrade, the neighbourhoods of Siena, and it lasts only a minute or two. The days around it, the trials, the blessing of the horses and the historic procession, are the real event. Exact times for the trials and the procession change each year, so check the organiser's site, the Comune di Siena, before you plan the day.

Your phone has three jobs: tickets or seat details if you have a place in the stands, a map for the crowds and the closed streets, and a way to reach whoever you came with when the square is full. Ringo Light's Italy plan gives you unlimited data at full speed across Italy, delivered by email and installed with one scan.

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2 · What happens and when

The July race is the Palio di Provenzano and the August race is the Palio dell'Assunta. Each is preceded by several days of trials in the campo, and the contrade bless their horses in their own churches on race day. In the afternoon the Corteo Storico, the historic procession, enters the square, and the race follows in the evening.

Only some of the contrade run in each race. Which ones, and which horse each is given, is decided in the days before. The Comune di Siena publishes the programme; treat any time you read elsewhere as provisional until you see it there.

3 · The campo on race day

Piazza del Campo is the track. Seats in the stands and in the windows and balconies around it are sold in advance. The centre of the square, inside the track, is usually open without a ticket, and people queue for it for hours before the procession. Confirm the current rules for access and for bags on the organiser's site.

Once the square is full and the gates close, you cannot easily leave. Charge your phone fully, carry a battery pack, and agree a meeting point outside the walls before you go in.

4 · What your phone has to do

  • ✓Tickets and entries. Keep any stand or window ticket in your phone wallet and as a screenshot, so it opens without signal.
  • ✓Maps. Siena's centre is a maze of steep lanes and the streets around the campo close on race days. Download an offline map before you arrive.
  • ✓Signal in the square. Tens of thousands of phones share the same masts. Messages go through slowly or late, so decide in advance where the group meets.
  • ✓Cashless. Cards and phone payments are widely accepted in Siena, though small bars may prefer a card over a phone tap. Carry a little cash for the busiest hours.

5 · Getting to Siena and around

Siena has no airport of its own that most visitors use; most arrive from Florence or Pisa, by regional bus or by train, often changing at Empoli. Buses from Florence run to the terminal near the old city walls, and the railway station sits below the walls, linked to the centre by buses and escalators. Check timetables and the last departures on race night, when everything is full.

The historic centre is a restricted traffic zone, so leave a car outside the walls in one of the signposted car parks and walk or take the shuttle. Plan the return trip before the race, because crowds leave all at once after it.

6 · Planning the day

Many visitors stay in Siena for the whole four days and some choose Florence or the countryside and travel in. Book early, as rooms fill well before each race. Bring a small day bag, water and a hat, because July and August afternoons in the campo are hot.

On race night restaurants are crowded and the contrade hold their victory dinners in the streets. Even if you have no ticket, the atmosphere around the contrade is part of the Palio.

7 · Frequently asked questions

When is the Palio di Siena?+
It is run twice a year, on 2 July and on 16 August. The trials and the procession fall in the days around each race, so check the Comune di Siena's programme for the exact times.
Do I need a ticket for the Palio?+
Seats in the stands and the windows around the campo are sold in advance. The centre of the square is usually open without one, but you queue for hours. Check the organiser's site for the current rules.
Will my phone work in Piazza del Campo?+
It usually connects, but the square is packed and networks slow down. Download maps and keep tickets offline, and set a meeting point in advance.
Which plan covers Siena?+
Ringo Light's Italy plan covers Siena and the rest of Italy, with unlimited data at full speed. EU roaming also applies in Italy for EU visitors.
How do I get to Siena?+
Most visitors come from Florence or Pisa by bus or train. The historic centre has restricted car access, so leave the car outside the walls.

8 · Sources

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