With the Eyes of the Dragon
Glances (Tittia and Zio Frac)
Siena, June 30, 2022, two days before the race. The jockey is chosen by the contrada, the horse is drawn by lot.
In the days leading up to the race, man and horse live in perfect symbiosis. A search aimed at getting to know each other and establishing mutual trust. A silent glance can strengthen this bond more than a thousand words.
2 July 2022: Palio of the Madonna di Provenzano
The Palio of Siena is a very well-known event in Italy and abroad and is an integral part of our tradition.
In reality, this knowledge of the Palio of Siena is generally very approximate and superficial.
Tendentially, everything is reduced to a sort of race between daredevil jockeys who, riding bareback, compete for a cloth banner.
In truth, to fully understand everything that the Palio of Siena represents, one should be born in Siena.
If you are not so lucky, you should experience the "96 hours" from within a Contrada at least once in your life.
And this is exactly the goal I set myself when I started thinking about making this reportage.
To use a photography metaphor, the race represents only the shooting session.
That is, the moment when the long work of study, planning, and organization is finalized.
The celebrations, the moment when our images are transformed into... photography.
But let's go in order.
©Max Angeloni - All rights reserved
Belonging
Siena, July 1, 2022, one day before the race.
The contrada dinner is a recurring event that serves to strengthen the bonds of belonging. The dinner that precedes the race takes on an even deeper meaning. The jockey is the focal point on which all the hopes of the contradaioli rest.
Even if only for 96 hours, the jockey will wear the colors of the Drago and, with them, all the hopes of these people.
Preparation and planning
Living the Contrada life in the period leading up to the Palio, if you are not a “Contradaiolo,” is not easy. Unless you have the right people willing to give you that essential trust to tell the story of such a complex event “from the inside.”
So, in the months preceding the event, I got in touch with the Consortium for the Protection of the Palio di Siena to gather all the necessary information and ask for advice on how to move in the most appropriate way.
Thanks to their valuable guidance and my friend Guido Mantegoli, I finally got what I wanted. To experience the Palio di Siena from inside a contrada.
To experience the Palio di Siena “through the eyes of the Dragon.”
Solitude
Siena, July 2, 2022, the day of the race.
Once the general trials are over, the horse and jockey return to what has been their sparse dwelling in recent days.
Jockey and horse live in complete isolation, separated from each other only by a wall.
An ancient makeshift cloister that will serve to protect them from others and, above all, from themselves.
Only at this point did I start thinking about the most suitable photographic equipment to successfully carry out such a complex job.
In fact, if we think about it, such a complex assignment cannot be "labeled" in a specific photographic genre.
Of course, there is reportage, but also sports photography, landscape, portrait, and a thousand other photographic nuances that, from time to time, may appear in front of my lens.
The release of the new Fujifilm X-H2s cleared up all my doubts about which camera to use. Three zoom lenses capable of covering all focal lengths from wide-angle to telephoto, two very bright prime lenses, a couple of batteries, and the camera bag is ready.
In planning this job, I had set myself three fundamental points.
To photograph without ever contaminating the scene with my presence, to learn as much as possible about the traditions linked to the Palio di Siena and the district that was hosting me, and to become aware of what I was photographing each time.
Alfieri
Siena, July 2, 2022, the day of the race.
The alfieri, more commonly known as "flag throwers," are among the most well-known figures of this tradition that has its roots in the Middle Ages. There are only a few hours left before the race and it is time for the contrada to gather. All the members of the parade are dressed in historical costume. Inside the Basilica of San Domenico, where the remains of Antonio Stradivari are buried, the alfieri begin their performance accompanied by the rhythm of the drums.
As soon as I arrived in Siena, after collecting passes, badges, and authorizations, I found myself catapulted onto the earth of Piazza del Campo to start getting familiar with everything related to the race.
In reality, I wasn't intimidated by the technical aspect of photographing a horse race. I have spent quite some time on the edge of the track, enough to feel pretty comfortable in these settings.
My anxiety was rather caused by studying everything that happened at the start.
This is a key moment of the race, and finding myself stationed right there, sitting on the ground just a few meters from the canapo, was fundamental.
Day after day and trial after trial, I devoted little time to photographing and much more to observing and listening.
The few shots I took were mainly to get familiar with the new X-H2s.
Very fast learning, it is a 100% Fujifilm with the “only” difference of being the fastest and most responsive camera ever made in the X series.
In Parade
Siena, July 2, 2022, the day of the race.
From the heart of the Contrada del Drago, the historical parade begins its journey. With the drummer at the head, the people of the contrada appear like a river flowing through the entire city. A very long stream of water that will join the others to finally flow into Piazza del Campo.
Contrada: history and tradition
Much more than the race and the field itself, I was most interested in learning as much as possible about the history and tradition of the Palio and the contrada of which I would be "the eyes."
Thanks to the patience, preparation, and knowledge of Marco Lonzi, former prior of the Drago, I discovered all the most symbolic and characteristic places, historical events, curiosities, objects, and legends regarding the Palio of Siena and the Contrada del Drago.
One of the things that struck me most is the strong bond between tradition and faith.
It is no coincidence that both Palios are dedicated to the Madonna (July 2nd Madonna of Provenzano and August 16th Assumption of the Madonna).
And it is no coincidence that all the contrade have a dedicated church.
This is a centuries-old legacy rather than a mixture of sacred and profane.
A legacy that still finds full realization today.
The Palios dedicated to the Madonna, the churches dedicated to the contrade, the jockey's mass, the blessing of the horse, the visit to the other contrade by the winner, which ends with a prayer.
If we think about it, these are not acts of folklore but rites and customs of ancient tradition that are handed down from generation to generation.
Keeping tradition alive not only in Siena but throughout our magnificent nation.
Barbero and Barbaresco
Siena, July 2, 2022, the day of the race.
When the historical parade marches onto the racetrack in Piazza del Campo, the tension for the race begins to rise progressively.
Berbero and barbaresco, horse and man, share the emotions of the crowd as if they were a single entity.
I begin to see things through the eyes of the Dragon. Here I perceive what belonging means during the contrada dinner, where hundreds of young people take care of all the organizational aspects of the event.
Here I see the almost intimate relationship between horse, jockey, and contrada members.
A relationship made of presence but also of absence in the solitude of the room and in the stable where they sleep, separated only by a wall, man and horse.
I don't have time to explain in words everything about the Palio, I'm not able to and I prefer to leave it to the images to tell the story.
The parade is ready and the historical walk is about to begin.
The “Mossa”
Siena, July 2, 2022, the race.
It is perhaps the only start, in a race on Earth, where anything goes: from hindering the opponent, to changing places, from refusing to start, to even extreme forcing. Horses and jockeys, squeezed into the space between the two ropes, begin an exhausting game of roles to secure the best possible start. The tension is even more palpable given the long period of suspension imposed by the Covid emergency. The wait is endless and, false start after false start, everyone thinks the race will be postponed to the next day. Then, suddenly, the rope drops yet again, but this time the start is valid. The Drago shoots to the front, chased by the Pantera from the “rincorsa”.
The Race
The drums beat and the standard-bearers twirl their flags.
Alley after alley, square after square, the parade moves through the city streets before making its entrance into Piazza del Campo. Here comes the cart drawn by oxen, showing everyone the prize of the contest.
An unreal silence falls as the protagonists of the race approach the starting line.
The flask has determined the order of entry.
As tradition dictates, false starts follow one another for an indeterminate and suspended time.
Once again the starter releases the rope, but this time the start is regular.
The Drago takes the lead and, coming up from behind from the verrocchino, the Pantera chases in vain. It seems like a triumphant parade but meter by meter, curve after curve, the Torre has caught up. It's neck and neck. The mortar explodes, signaling the finish, but even looking at the photo I took I can't tell who the winner is.
Moments of waiting, also indefinitely infinite. Finally, at the mullioned window of the Town Hall, the flag of the winning contrada is raised: Drago.
Head to head
Siena, July 2, 2022, the race.
Three laps run breathlessly by jockeys riding their horses bareback. Three laps in which the Drago was always in the lead.
But Torre's comeback is relentless. In the final meters, the head to head is thrilling.
A cannon shot marks the end of the "career".
And let there be celebration.
The banner is lowered and taken possession of by the winners and carried in triumph to the church of the Madonna di Provenzano. It is to Her that the Palio of July 2nd is dedicated and, as is only right, it is to Her that the first thanks are given.
And then in parade towards another church, this time the Oratory of the Drago contrada.
A river of colorful people pours into the square in front. They wait their turn to see, touch, and take a photo with the prize for all their efforts. I too could not resist such temptation.
The celebration will go on all night. For me, however, the time has come to close the eyes of the Dragon. In these days I have felt fully involved in everything happening around me. But I was only an observer and it is right for me to step aside, put the cap on the lens, and turn off my camera, sometimes used a bit indiscreetly. It is time to leave all the well-deserved celebration to the real protagonists, at least until the next morning.
The Palio
Siena, July 2, 2022, The wait, the victory
The sprint finish makes this long-awaited Palio even more unique. It has been dubbed the “Palio of Rebirth.” Rebirth after the 2-year suspension due to the Covid emergency. A way to return to normality, especially for Siena and its centuries-old tradition. Endless minutes pass one after another. Finally, the flag of the winning contrada is displayed at the central window of the Palazzo Pubblico.
The Palio is lowered to be embraced by all the people of the Dragon.
It is curious how my adventure ended just as it began, that is, in a church.
I started from the Oratory of the Dragon to end up in the churches of the other districts during the visit that the winner traditionally makes the day after the race.
It's time to leave.
The banner will be displayed together with the other trophies previously won by the Dragon, the silver plate returned to the Municipality of Siena, and the staff handed over to the captain.
This is the tradition.
And it is precisely the respect for tradition that makes this event unique in the world.
I am grateful to have been able to experience it so intensely.
I wanted to participate only as an observer but in the end I found myself fully involved. I delude myself that I brought luck... but, in fact, it is just an illusion.
The heart that burns in me becomes flame in my mouth
Long live the Dragon.
This work was created with:
Authorization of the CTPS - CONSORTIUM FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PALIO OF SIENA
Siena, Contrada del Drago, October 2, 2022, Celebratory Victory Dinner
Acknowledgements
A heartfelt thank you to those who contributed to making this project possible:
thanks to the Consortium for the Protection of the Palio di Siena and to the patience and professionalism of Mrs. Roberta Bioni.
Thanks to the entire Drago contrada, in particular to the Prior Luigi Sani, the deputy Alberto Nastasi and the deputy deputies Guido Mantengoli, Giovanni Molteni and Lisa Pagliantini, to the Captain Jacopo Gotti, to Dr. Marco Lonzi, former Prior and extraordinary guide, and to all the wonderful people of the Drago contrada.
Finally, a special thank you to Annalaura Pacini, fundamental in organizing this wonderful adventure.
info and insights
https://www.consorziotutelapaliodisiena.it/