Historic Palio di Siena: Nicchio and Tittia Rewrite History After 232 Years

A nail-biting Palio di Siena—long in the making (first delayed by two days due to weather, then with a start that took over an hour and a quarter)—rewrites history just as much, if not more, than what happened in July. The 2026 Palio dell’Assunta goes to the Nicchio, the contrada that had gone the longest without a victory on the field. In fact, its last win had been at the previous Provenzano, which went to the former “nonna” Aquila. In fact, not since 1794 had two “cuffie” changed hands in a single year: it happened again in August, 232 years later, thanks to Giovanni Atzeni, known as “Tittia,” who claimed his thirteenth personal victory, and the horse Anda e Bola, which triumphed on the Campo for the second time.

As mentioned, the race unfolded delicately right from the draw for starting positions at the ropes: the Lupa, the overwhelming favorite with “lucky” jockey Dino Pes and the horse Diodoro—a two-time winner in three editions of the Palio di Siena—started in first position. The other favorites, however, were much further back: the Nicchio drew number 8, while the Aquila was even starting from the back of the pack. It’s no coincidence that “Tittia” seems to be chatting at length with Carlo Sanna, known as “Brigante,” who doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to enter the ropes, while the other great “King of the Piazza” is pointedly stalling. Another major issue is the obstruction tactics employed against the feared Torre by its rival, the Oca, which is fielding a debutant horse (Diamante Sauro) and a very young jockey (Michel Putzu, known as “Spago”).

The starter is forced to have the horses exit the starting gates no fewer than four times; during the start, the gates are lowered three times. The third instance is particularly curious: the start is not considered valid, even though it appeared almost cleaner than the one that gave the Palio of Provenzano to L’Aquila (and even then, Brigante was in the running). In the end, the race began with Giraffa and, above all, Nicchio out of position—just enough, however, to allow “Tittia,” Anda, and Bola to pull ahead without Selva, Torre, and Istrice ever seriously threatening their victory. For the 41-year-old jockey of Sardinian and German descent—who, incidentally, made his debut wearing the colors of the Pispini—this marks a return to victory following the 2025 Palio di Provenzano; in August of that same year, Anda e Bola had won for the Montone. The Nicchio, on the other hand, claimed victory for the first time since August 17, 1998, leaving the “cuffia” to the Chiocciola.

Atzeni himself was also, through no fault of his own, at the center of a tense moment during the now-concluded Palio di Siena: the final rush into the square caused Anda and Bola to fall, as well as an even more disastrous fall by “Tittia,” who remained on the ground for a few seconds, alarming the entire Campo. The jockey was transported by ambulance to the Policlinico delle Scotte without having lost consciousness, as confirmed live on La7. Earlier, however, Diamante Sauro had unseated “Spago,” the jockey for the Oca, right inside the ropes.

With this thirteenth victory, “Tittia” further solidifies his position at the top of the rankings of the most successful jockeys in the Palio’s recent history, cementing a dominance that has now lasted for over a decade. 2026 is proving to be an extraordinary year for him: following his July victory with the Aquila—which ended a 34-year drought for that contrada; their last win dated back to July 3, 1992, with the legendary Aceto riding Galleggiante—he now secures a repeat victory in August with the Nicchio. This double victory brings him even closer to Andrea Degortes’ all-time record of 14 career wins.

The role of “Brigante” in this edition brings to mind dynamics seen before. Carlo Sanna, who in the 2026 Palio di Provenzano had been the very protagonist of the final sprint with the Onda, has once again demonstrated his ability to influence the timing of the move with great skill. This isn’t the first time the two major protagonists of the contemporary Campo have found themselves engaging in a strategic exchange at the ropes: as early as the 2023 Assunta, both had ended up on the ground at the second San Martino curve in what remains one of the most sensational episodes of recent years, with the Oca’s unmounted horse, Zio Frac, crossing the finish line first in a finale that has become legendary.

The horse Anda e Bola also has a noteworthy recent history on the Sienese tuff. It was he who, in the 2023 Assunta Palio, stumbled at the final San Martino bend, bringing down Jonatan Bartoletti—known as “Scompiglio”—just when it seemed he was poised to contend for victory. Since that stroke of bad luck, the horse has managed to redeem himself, first with a victory in the 2025 Palio dell’Assunta for the Montone and now with this second triumph for the Nicchio, confirming his status as one of the most competitive horses of recent years on the Campo di Piazza del Campo.