The Palio di Siena is a historic and fiercely competitive bareback horse race held twice each summer in Siena’s Piazza del Campo, dating back to the 15th century. Ten of the city’s seventeen districts, or contrade, compete not for individual fame but for neighborhood honor, engaging in a brutal 90-second race marked by sanctioned physical confrontations and long-standing rivalries rooted in centuries-old unwritten rules.

Selvaggia Pianetti Lotteringhi della Stufa, a 27-year-old rider from a noble Tuscan family with deep regional roots, has been passionate about horses since before birth. While she initially pursued traditional equestrian sports, it was the intense challenge and excitement of the Palio that ultimately captivated her, despite the daunting realities of the race.