Palio di Siena

The Palio di Siena (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːljo di ˈsjɛːna]; known locally simply as Il Palio) is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards. The Palio held on July 2 is named Palio di Provenzano, in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano, a Marian devotion particular to Siena which developed around an icon from the Terzo Camollia. The Palio held on August 16 is named Palio dell'Assunta, in honour of the Assumption of Mary.

Sometimes, in case of exceptional events or local or national anniversaries deemed relevant and pertinent ones, city community may decide for an extraordinary Palio, run between May and September. The last one was in year 2000, to celebrate the entering of the city in the new century.

A pageant, the Corteo Storico, precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world.

Siena

Siena (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsjɛːna]; in English sometimes spelled Sienna) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.

The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year.

History

Siena, like other Tuscan hill towns, was first settled in the time of the Etruscans (c. 900–400 BC) when it was inhabited by a tribe called the Saina. The Etruscans were an advanced people who changed the face of central Italy through their use of irrigation to reclaim previously unfarmable land, and their custom of building their settlements in well-defended hill forts. A Roman town called Saena Julia was founded at the site in the time of the Emperor Augustus. The first document mentioning it dates from AD 70. Some archaeologists assert that Siena was controlled for a period by a Gaulish tribe called the Senones.

List of Hannah Montana characters

This list of Hannah Montana characters includes characters appearing in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana as well as the related film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The characters listed are almost all fictional, except for stars who appear as themselves. Still others, such as Aunt Dolly, intentionally blur the line between fiction and non-fiction. Hannah's best friend Leslie.

Main characters

Siena (disambiguation)

Siena is a city in Italy, and the capital of the Province of Siena. It may also refer to:

Colleges

Other

See also