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TOIA MAGAZINE # 77 IN CONVERSATION … Sergio Pierattini The tradition of the Palio dates back to the mid XIII century. Races take place in a number of Italian cities (for example, Asti and Legnano); the most famous by far, however, is the Siena Palio, still bound by rules first laid down in 1632. It’s generally held twice a year in July and August. Out of the 17 contrade, 10 compete, each represented by one jockey, riding bareback. Preceded by the spectacular sbandierata (a display of flag waving), the race consists of three rounds of Piazza del Campo and the winning horse is the one crossing the finishing line first … even without a rider on its back. Dante Ceruolo talks to Sergio Pierattini, Siena born and bred, about the Palio and he shares an insider’s view with us. Sergio is an acclaimed and awardwinning Italian actor and playwright. He has written many stage and radio plays (including for RAI) and has recently starred in La trattativa, a documentary film focusing on the State-Mafia pact. Tell us what the Palio means for a Sienese DOC? The Palio is an elixir of life, a wonderful game. It helps you remain forever youthful. I cannot stress it enough, the Palio and the contrada are with you from birth to death and beyond. After the race, the victorious contrada take the drappellone (the banner) together with the winning horse to pay a visit to the contradaioli who are dead and buried in cemeteries: there’s a strong link between the past and the present, from which I draw much comfort. So the tie between you and your contrada never leaves you. There are two “careers”, as it were, marking the life of a Sienese. The contrada, its territory, and its people are inside you even if you happen to live on the other side of the world. Knowing that you belong to it warms your heart and helps you to overcome all of life’s trials and tribulations. Winning or losing … how important is it? The Palio teaches you a lesson: if you lose there’s always a chance to try again. You need to learn to wait and when you do win the joy is proportionate to the amount of time you have patiently waited! Signor Remigio, who owns the place where my mother now lives, is from La Lupa (The She-Wolf). Very recently he made it to the venerable age of 100. He confessed to my mum, “What worries me and gets me down is that I might die without seeing my contrada victorious once more”. In fact, the last time La Lupa won was almost 20 years ago in 1989. You can only imagine how thrilled he was when this year on the 2nd July La Lupa triumphed with flying colours. He was so ecstatic to be there, to witness them win with his own eyes and he shared in the immense joy of the victory. And which is your contrada? Can you tell me a bit more about it? I belong to L’Onda (The Wave). What outsiders need to understand is that when it comes to your contrada it’s not a question of being a mere supporter, it’s something in your blood, in your DNA. Each contrada has its own distinctive colour; mine is white and sky blue and its stemma (emblem) consists of a Baroque dolphin. L’Onda has got a rich history behind its shoulders: the name stems back to the time of the Republic of Siena, when the old military companies would man the port of Talamone, in the Tuscan Maremma.
TOIA MAGAZINE # 77 And more recently? I first witnessed my contrada win in 1969, aged 11. The jockey was Giuseppe Gentili, a legend. Although he was rather advanced in years, he was L’Onda’s choice of rider after La Torre’s (The Tower’s) victory in 1961. In that memorable Palio, won by La Torre, Gentili was riding for L’Oca (The Goose), the sworn and bitter rival of La Torre. Some of his contradaioli were suspicious that he had struck a deal with their enemies, so he was beaten to the point that the poor wretch ended up in hospital. Once his wounds had healed, he didn’t dare to show his face in the streets of Siena for many years. However, in 1969 Gentili was fully vindicated: L’Onda tasted victory once more after a barren patch since time immemorial - 1954! The contrada’s celebrations lasted all summer long and in our main street we built a gigantic fountain out of bricks and crowned by four monumental dolphins. As you can imagine, this has stayed with me ever since and is one of my most treasured memories. L’Onda fountain Luigi Bruschelli winning the July 2012 Palio What other cherished memories stay with you? The July 2012 Palio. In June I had just baptized my daughter into the contrada and in July we won: it couldn’t get any better than that! I’ve also got a vivid childhood memory of Lazzaro, the jockey who managed to lose a race that was practically in the bag in the Palio of 1965. Again, he didn’t go unpunished! He barricaded himself in the Sacristy of the contrada’s church as a swelling throng of women were hell bent on beating him. I saw him crying and swearing that he hadn’t sold out. But, by and large, the jockeys are liars; the truth about that controversial race, lost at the last bend, has never come to light. You’ve just mentioned your daughter has been baptised into your contrada. How does this work? Can you describe it? The “baptism” is the official seal of your belonging to the contrada. It’s carried out by Il Priore, the highest authority. Children are brought to the contrada’s baptismal fount and, once baptised, are bestowed with a scarf or fazzoletto in the colours of the contrada. Destiny allots it to you; it’s not something you exercise any choice over. Once, by the very fact that you were born in a particular district of the city, your lifelong connection to that contrada began; but nowadays you’re more likely to be born in the ‘neutral territory’ of a hospital. This is why, perhaps, the contradaiolo baptism has come to mean so much. From the day of your battesimo contradaiolo you belong to that contrada and that is that. Hopefully it also puts an end to the disputes that arise between parents from different factions over which contrada the child is destined to belong to! There are two Palios. Isn’t one enough for you! How do they differ one from the other? The Palio is run twice a year, on the 2nd July and the 16th August. The one in July is in honour of the Madonna di Provenzano, whereas the August Palio celebrates the Assumption of Mary and dates back to the mid-Settecento. Anyway, once the terra in piazza is laid, for the Sienese there’s no difference between the two. The fervent expectation and the emotions are exactly the same. Given that it is a close-knit civic tradition, how can a visitor best integrate and feel part of it? A visitor can feel Sienese and to belong to a contrada as long as they understand the game and they show respect for it. I recall a rather curious character from the Siena of the second half of the 20th century, Roy Moskowitz. A New York Professor, during the Second World War he spent time in Siena and would come back every year for his beloved contrada, Il Bruco (The Caterpillar). On his death, he left it a large sum of money in his will. Are there any secrets cloaking the Palio that you would like to disclose to us? Tell all! The Palio is a rigged competition, loosely speaking; ‘bargains’ with rival jockeys have their place and bribes – often considerable sums of money – change hands. Each of the contrada’s ‘directors’ try to strategize but at the end of the day it is the jockeys who go “alla mossa” (the starting line in the piazza cordoned by two long pieces of thick rope). In the words of the old song, the “ten assassins” keep their closely guarded secrets to themselves. Their malpractices provide the stuff of conversation during the long winter, while the Sienese wait impatiently for la terra to be spread once again across the Piazza del Campo. For further information go to www.toia.co.uk
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