Rain Delays Famous Palio di Siena Horse Race Again
Listen to the story
The Palio di Siena is a famous horse race in Italy. It happens in a city called Siena. The race takes place in a big square. The square is called Piazza del Campo.
The race was supposed to happen on 16 August 2026. But it did not happen. There was rain on the square. So the race was postponed.
This is not the first time rain has stopped the race. People now talk about a curse of bad weather. This means bad weather often stops the Palio.
The organizers said nothing is lost yet. This means the race can still happen later. Many people are waiting for news about a new date.
The Palio di Siena is very old and very famous. Many tourists come to watch it every year. People in Siena love this tradition very much.
Vocabulary15 words
- Palio di Siena
- a very old horse race in Italy
- Piazza del Campo
- a big open square in Siena
- postponed
- moved to a later time
- curse
- bad luck that keeps happening
- tradition
- something people do the same way for a long time
- organizers
- people who plan an event
- square
- an open flat place in a city
- famous
- known by many people
- race
- a competition to see who is fastest
- rain
- water that falls from the sky
- date
- a specific day
- tourists
- people who visit a place for fun
- weather
- sun, rain, wind, etc.
- city
- a big town
- watch
- to look at something
Quiz
Answer key
1. A horse race 2. Because of rain 3. Yes, people talk about a weather curse
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Palio di Siena is a famous _____ race in Italy.
It happens in a big _____ called Piazza del Campo.
The race was supposed to happen on 16 August _____.
But it did not happen because of _____.
So the race was _____.
People now talk about a _____ of bad weather.
The organizers said nothing is _____ yet.
Many people are waiting for news about a new _____.
Many _____ come to watch it every year.
People in Siena love this _____ very much.