ROME – Just two weeks after the end of the notorious Palio race in Siena, districts have been given the chance to put themselves to the test once again; this time, in November and to celebrate one hundred years since the end of the First World War, local authorities said on Monday.

 The spectacular event which is held on the July 2 and August 16 every year in Siena could be argued to always fit the name of ‘extraordinary’, and this year in which the ‘wolf’ team was crowned champion for the thirty-seventh time was no different. However, the last official ‘extraordinary Palio’ was celebrated 18 years ago to celebrate the Jubilee, and now there are rumours of another to take place this year.

 The idea was born mid-August by the federation of weapons’ organisation ‘Assoarma’, who sent the written request to the Public Palace on Thursday afternoon and the council, lead by the centre-right mayor Luigi De Mossi, voted in favour. Thus, the decision to organise an extraordinary palio in the autumn is approved, which will be dedicated to the first world war and “mainly inspired by recovering historic memories, aiming to value national culture and popular memory.”

 Now, it will be the role of the judge to communicate the council’s proposal to the 17 districts and to achieve the support from at least 10 before anymore organisation can take place.

 Initial suggestions of dates for this palio have also been approved; at the moment the Civic Palace has mentioned the first two Sundays in November; the fourth and the eleventh. The Nov. 4, 1918 was the date that Italy signed the victory statement for the surrender of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire at Villa Giusti, while Nov.11 was the official date that fighting ceased.

 At the moment, however, there are technical issues to attend to; according to official regulations, the districts should be brought together by the council at least 10 days after the official communication by the mayor, and at that point the 17 districts will have to decide together whether they will enter into the initiative.

 “It’s great news that our proposal was welcomed,” said the president of Assoarma Federico Pellegrino to the Corriere di Siena. “The palio is the most beautiful celebration in the world, and ties in well with this date, seeing as this celebratory tradition was introduced exactly at the end of the First World War.”

 A third Palio was also proposed at this meeting, to take place after the Madonna di Povenzano on July 2 and the one in Assunta on Aug. 16, provoking great excitement on behalf of the districts seeking a rematch and the many tourists which flock to the event every year.

 At the same time, however, many in the city are sceptical both about the period in which it would take place and about the difficulty in organising the race. The ex-mayor of Siena Bruno Valentini disagreed strongly with the council, arguing that there were not “the technical time nor resources to organise an extraordinary Palio." The other two considerations will be linked to the weather, obviously more problematic in autumn than in summer, and the time; during the palio the city shuts down completely, and to carry out the spectacle during the full working season could definitely bring about a few problems for those in Siena.

 Going back in time, the idea of an extraordinary palio was first seen in 1990 to celebrate 750 years since the opening of the university in Siena and in 2009 to celebrate 700 years of the constitution, the document written in 1309 in which the rules and laws were formalised that regulate life in the city. In both cases, however, the districts refused the proposal of an extraordinary palio and in the end nothing happened. Now, the power is once again in their hands to decide.

 cb