Siena & Italy Tours with Anna

05/09/2026

⚔️ 5 Sept. “The Day after the Battle”. Which battle? Why Montaperti, of course! ⚔️ Had the most wonderful morning walking through the Crete Senesi and the probable site of that epic victory by the Sienese over the Florentines in 1260. Our historical guide was Tommaso De Benedictis), and along our trek we ran into some rather interesting historical figures, including Dante (Francesco Burroni), Manfred (King of Sicily), peasants and pilgrims, Sienese and Florentine troops, and even Monna Usilio (Chiara.guide) who single-handedly took 36 prisoners! We finished the afternoon with a well earned lunch at the Circolo di Casetta, and then I marked my calendar for next year’s outings!
Grazie a AsdGsCasettaMonteaperti per la bellissima giornata!

26/08/2026

Look, baby wine! Or rather, beautiful grapes that will mature into delicious vino rosso! We are spoilt for choice here in Tuscany: Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello, Morellino di Scansano - the list goes on! Not sure which one to try? I say, try them all! Well, moderation is key, so head to a winery or do a tasting in Siena, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Florence, San Gimignano (for vino bianco lovers, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano is not to be missed!), and more. Remember, wine is food, and it has been a part of local culture (both sacred and profane) for millennia. So pull up a chair and raise a glass - salute! 🍷🍷

PS, I’m working on a Siena Experiences and Florence Experiences page on my website with advice on where to go for tastings. Check out my website and let me know if you have an experience to share!

19/08/2026

19 August: As the Piazza returns to normal, so does life for all (except the members of the victorious Nicchio). I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: if Italy was as organized as Siena is during Palio, it would be the most powerful nation on earth!

Palio recap to follow…

18/08/2026

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18/08/2026

18/08/2026

18 August 2026: Finally, TODAY is PALIO!! No one has slept well in days but adrenaline will keep us all going until this evening. At 19:00 (7pm) the horses and jockeys will step onto the track and then, after what will surely be a long and contested “mossa” (start), less than 90 seconds after that, history will be made once again.

Here’s how to watch (you may or may not need a VPN)!

* Canale 3 Toscana: https://www.canale3.tv
* RadioSiena TV: https://www.radiosienatv.it
* LA7: https://www.la7.it
* Palio App: https://www.palioapp.com

17/08/2026

17 August: Yet another rain delay, but the weather is looking good for tomorrow! ☀️ We can finally bless our horses (some Contrade were able to on the 16th, others were not) and process through the city streets to the Duomo and finally to the battlefield that is the Piazza del Campo. To keep up with my (almost) daily Palio posts, here are some factoids about Palii on 18 August throughout history, plus 2 snaps of our “soprallasso” (parade horse) called Morena, who had to go up and down this steep hill for the second time in two days. Let’s hope tomorrow is the last time for her (well, until next year)!

17/08/2026

17 August: ⛈️ After an agonizing 24 hours, here we are again. We awoke to turbulent skies, then thunder, and then rain. More is forecast, but will it be enough to ruin the track, or might we be able to run this Palio after all? 🐎

For now, here are some images of the view from my flat, and the stats again so you can see the number of victories for each Contrada, horse, and jockey, as well as links to follow along live for the 19.00 (7pm) start (fingers - and everything - crossed!). This is already the 6th Palio postponed due to rain since 2022; if we have to postpone again, it will be only the 13th time in history that the Palio has been run on 18 August, although only a handful of those times was for weather reasons (others were extraordinary Palii). Watch this space…

* Canale 3 Toscana: https://www.canale3.tv
* RadioSiena TV: https://www.radiosienatv.it
* LA7: https://www.la7.it
* Palio App: https://www.palioapp.com

16/08/2026

16 August, Part 2: Well, here we are again, with yet another Palio postponed. It has not rained since 2 July (also Palio day!), and just before we were to bless our horse, the rains came. A mist or a sprinkle would have been fine; after all, the dirt track needs to maintain a certain moisture for optimal racing conditions. Unfortunately, this was no small shower: it POURED, and then hailed a bit too! Even though the sun came out less than 2 hours later, it was no good. The track is too muddy and the horses’ and jockeys’ safety cannot be compromised. And so, we wait…let us hope that the rain forecast for tomorrow will realize it’s not welcome!

This is the 10th Palio since Covid, and the 6th one to be postponed. It is the 5th of 8 Palii that the current mayor has had to postpone; indeed, she has been nicknamed “Nicoletta Nuvoletta” (Little Cloud Nicoletta) Fabio!

If we do run on the 17th, be sure to follow along live on Canale 3 Toscana (https://www.canale3.tv), RadioSiena TV (https://www.radiosienatv.it), or LA7 (https://www.la7.it). And don’t forget this amazing app (https://www.palioapp.com)!

16/08/2026

PALIO!! 16 August, Siena: Yesterday I began the day with an interview on Canale 3 Toscana about my life here in Siena - very nerve-wracking but hope it went OK! Then had a wonderful mini-reunion with Rick Steves guides and gave them a Palio-themed tour before visiting the Palazzo Pubblico to view Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Effects of Good and Bad Government frescoes. We went to the Prova Generale (5th trial) together (and had the best view in town!), which was preceded by the Carica dei Carabinieri, truly a wonder to behold. There were 4 rows of 3 Carabinieri, led by their Comandante, and they saluted the city of Siena. After a full lap around, the Comandante raised his sword at the Casato curve, yelled “Chaaaaarge!”, and all the other Carabinieri raised their swords and raced out of the Piazza - incredible (so incredible I forgot to take a picture)! The Sienese and their guests then went to their Contrade for dinners, complete with speeches from their presidents, captains, and in some cases, even the jockeys.

And TODAY is PALIO. I cannot describe the feelings of anxiety and excitement that the contradaioli are experiencing, but I fear my heart rate will not return to normal until late tonight. Until then, here are some of yesterday’s snaps, plus the Contrada, horse, and jockey stats.

Tonight, history will be made once more (as long as the rains stay away!!)! Follow along live on Canale 3 Toscana (https://www.canale3.tv), RadioSiena TV (https://www.radiosienatv.it), or LA7 (https://www.la7.it). And don’t forget this amazing app (https://www.palioapp.com)!