Palio di Siena: L’Atmosfera

Tradition, pride, faith, ritual, and color: Through photographs and audio, I wanted to convey the intense atmosphere of Il Palio in Siena, Italy for the Palio d’Assunta over four days in August 2011. Il Palio is a horse race held every July and August in which ten of the 17 contrade (neighborhoods) of Siena compete in Il Campo, the city’s central piazza; the remaining seven are entered into the next race. There is one winner, no stopwatch, and no cash prize. For the most part, the contrade race to win extr