The “Palio di Provenzano“
In order to celebrate the Virgin’s cul worthly, starting from 1656 it was decided to organize, on the day of the Madonna di Provenzano festivity, which occurred on July 2nd, a horse race involving the different districts (Contrade) of the city, which would take place in a loop enclosed by Piazza del CAmpo.
A first proposal had been put forward in 1605, but was cariied into effect only in 1633, and even the only episodically, to finally reach its definitve form in 1656,when the history of the “Palio delle Contrade” officially starts with the July 2nd’s race (Carriera), which is the least one hundread years older then the August 16th’s one, and it still takes place nowadays.
On the eve of the festivity, on July 1st, the “Drappellone” (a large piece of cloth on which, from the beginning of the XVIII century), the Madonna herself is represented, painted each year by a different artist), gets carried into the Collegiata in honor of the “Madonna dei Miracoli“.
The Ccity, its institutions and the “Contrade” pay homage to the Madonna, and the “Palio” (another name for the painted cloth) gets hunged on the right pilaster under the dome, and it’s the object, between sacred and profane, of the curiosity ant the superstitions of the numerous people of the Contrade (called “Contradaioli“).
At midday on July 2nd, the “Drappellone” is carried into the “Palazzo Comunale“, and it will be carried back inside the Collegiata int the evening, after the race, when the festive people of the winning Contrada will give thei thanks for the victory.