SIENA: THE FESTIVALS

In the land of Siena it is easy to be swept away by the turbulent ardour of the Palio on 2^nd July and 16^th August, bewitched by its rites and exterior aspects. But the city and the land around it harbour a far subtler mesh of festivals, anniversaries and other recurrences. Small treasures handed down by tradition, hidden in the intimacy of Siena lanes, or to be discovered in the villages further out in the province. An example? The individual feast days of each of the 17 Contradas, bound to rites, choreographies and rhythms that fan out from the celebrating district to fill the whole city with proud yet joyful processions. Or the antique Giostra di Simone (Simon's Joust) held on the first Sunday of August in the fortified village of Montisi near San Giovanni d'Asso in the commemoration of a medieval tournament. No less spectacular amongst the events in historical costume are the Sagra del Tordo (Thrush Festival) in Montalcino on the last Sunday of October, and the Festa delle Torri (Tower Festival) in Monteriggioni halfway through July, while the Festa del Barbarossa (Barbarossa's Feast Day) intrigues the visitorto San Quirico d'Orcia in mid-June. Amongst the many carnival celebrations , the most fascinating is the one with takes place in the shadow of the towered palaces of San Gimignano. In the land of the Palio it is natural for horse races to take the lead, but one of the most interesting is the one in Casole d'Elsa in mid-July. An outstanding cultural event is the Serremaggio in the charming little town of Serre di Rapolano. And, last but not least, the country festivals: hundreds of them, all imaginative, whether olden-day or recent, crowded of spacious, celebrating the wild-boar, the frog, the water-melon, and even one commemorating poverty: this takes place in Colle Val d'Elsa halfway through June and offers the simple dishes of peasant civilisation.