Identity: the city of the Palio and the contrade, UNESCO historic centre
Siena's identity revolves around the Palio, run in Piazza del Campo on 2 July and 16 August, and a historic centre inscribed by UNESCO in 1995. Contrada festivals affect daily life: buses change route and waste collection is reorganised on Palio days.
Sections: Geography · History · Population · Languages · Time zone · Public holidays
The Palio
The Comune's Palio page gives the races in Piazza del Campo on 2 July and 16 August every year, plus extra races for exceptional circumstances, and points to the thematic site "Il Palio di Siena" for full information. News items published there include the award of the Masgalano, decided by a commission, and the sanctions announced for track invasions to protect horses, jockeys and spectators.
What changes for residents
On its public transport page the Comune publishes bus detours for contrada festivities, for example in via dei Pispini for the Nicchio celebrations, and on its waste page the collection changes on Palio days. Anyone arriving finds a city calendar shaped by festivals and processions that affect traffic and services.
World Heritage
The UNESCO record for the Historic Centre of Siena stresses that the town is an example of uninterrupted evolution and unity of design, one of the most precious examples of a medieval and Renaissance Italian town; it also recalls the influence of the work of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini on Italian and European art.
Data
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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