The Palio di Siena and the Power of Passion

A horse race deeply rooted in culture, colour and pure passion. A true bucket-list event and one that overloaded all the senses for all the right reasons.

Have you heard of the Palio di Siena? I wouldn't be surprised if you said no, most Italians I meet aren't entirely sure what it is either, but for those in Tuscany, and especially those born in the small city of Siena, this race is everything.

I have never left an event feeling more like my cup of life needed filling with passion, so allow me to briefly explain.

In Siena the city is divided into contrade, districts, each with its own history, animal emblem and colours, and for locals you are born into your contrada, it is not a choice, it is who you are.

Twice a year these contrade go head to head in a fierce horse race known as the Palio di Siena.

The race itself takes place in the Piazza del Campo which on race day is filled with thousands of spectators, and while the race is utterly thrilling it lasts little more than 90 seconds, what makes the Palio special is everything around it, the year-long preparation and the intense week-long build up to that moment.

If you are in Siena during Palio week you will see an explosion of colour, each contrada wears silk neck scarves in vibrant shades, flags line the streets and restaurants and long communal dinners are marked by contrada colours.

Watching how silk is worn here, not as fashion but as identity and tradition, reminded me why I'm so drawn to designing ties that carry meaning rather than just decoration.

There are smiles at 200-person dinners, silence during rituals that bless the horses and rivalries that quietly simmer and sometimes boil over, you see the full extremes of human emotion throughout the week and that is what I loved most.

The Palio leaves a colourful imprint on your mind, both literally in what you see and emotionally in the passion you feel, it stays with you long after you have left the piazza.