Things in Siena are about to heat up again, and this time the heat wave has got nothing to do with it. It's Palio time again, the second of the year, the final chance to settle scores and earn bragging rights for the long winter. A few weeks ago we told you many stories about this very special event that is so much more than a horse race but we didn't have time to talk about the heart of the matter, the thing that sets the Palio apart: the overflowing river of hate that twice a year tears the city apart. In order to get a glimpse into the character of this very odd city, we will talk to you about the rivalry between the contrade of the Onda and the Torre. These two neighbours have been hating each other's guts for more than 4 centuries, an enmity so deep to have generated many serious incidents. Now that these tragedies are luckily a thing of the past, the hate between the Wave and the Tower takes many other forms, from refusing to wear the colours of the "enemy" to many other minor incidents that can tear close friendships and families apart. We will also talk about the wave of "accidental falls" that fill the A&E department of Siena hospitals this time of the year, the so-called "Palio casualties" that are the result of the many fistfights that happen everywhere in town. The really remarkable thing is that all this loudly professed hate doesn't harm the social fabric of the city at all. Senesi go from beating each other to shaking hands in a heartbeat, something that is uniquely Tuscan. "United but rivals" could be the motto of our very weird homeland, something that makes the Palio a perfect representation of this region. Let us know if you like this kind of episode or not by dropping us a message on social media or an email. Remember, we're your go-to place for everything Tuscany. We'd be more than happy to answer any of your questions. Speak up and we'll do our best to help!
Email: podcast@larno.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany

LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.ilpalio.org/rivali_ondtor.htm
https://www.ilpalio.org/aneddoti_onda03.htm
http://www.lamiaterradisiena.it/Uniti%20e%20Rivali/unitierivali.htm

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Pipe Choir - Bom Bom Breakthrough (Instrumental)
Incompetech - Leopard Print Elevator
Pipe Choir - Gemini (Instrumental)
Pipe Choir - Almost Time (Instrumental)
Wayne John Bradley - Blues Rock Original Instrumental
All released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-bom-bom-breakthrough-creative-commons-instrumental
https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500077
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Pipe_Choir/SGONS_Instrumentals/Pipe_Gemini_Instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-almost-time-instrumental-creative-commons
https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/blues-rock-original-instrumentalcreative-commons
http://www.pipechoir.com/