07/08/2025The Siena Palio: an inspiration that reaches into the heart of Chianti

The Siena Palio is much more than a horse race, it is a collective ritual that relates the story, identity, and passion of an entire city. Every year, on July 2nd and August 16th, the famous Piazza del Campo becomes the stage for one of the most fascinating events in Italy, attracting thousands of visitors from all around the world.

Perhaps not everyone knows, however, that the Palio also inspires contemporary art and that, beyond the walls of Siena, there are places that celebrate it in surprising ways.
One of these is just a few kilometres from the city, in the territory of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Pievasciata B.A.C.- Borgo d’Arte Contemporanea, (Village of contemporary art) is an open-air museum of 13 art works spread along the country roads surrounding The Chianti Sculpture Park in the heart of Chianti. It hosts Omaggio al Palio (Tribute to the Palio) by Sandro Bessi, a work dedicated to this centuries-old tradition. The work, located on the edge of the Chianti Sculpture Park, interprets with the language of contemporary art the symbolic power of the Siena Palio, the dynamism of the horses and the tension of the race. In a different approach to the profound meaning of this event, which is not only a competition but also an expression of belonging and collective identity, “Tribute to the Palio” shows how this tradition also lives outside of Siena, engaging with the landscape and becoming a source of artistic reflection.

After admiring Bessi’s work, the Pievasciata BAC path invites you to explore the other installations that intertwine nature, art, and history, for a complete experience in the heart of Chianti.

Also, within the permanent collection of the Chianti Sculpture Park itself there is a work that “resonates” with the Siena Palio, offering a different perspective.

This is Off the Beaten Track by William Furlong. An opportunity to discover the Siena Palio from a new point of view and to experience contemporary art in the heart of Chianti.