Palio di Siena 2026: Nicchio wins and Tittia falls

The Palio di Siena of Assunta, which took place on August 16, 2026, saw the Nicchio Contrada win after 28 years. The race started after two postponements due to bad weather, and the celebration of the victory was marked by a fall of jockey Giovanni Atzeni, known as Tittia.

Tittia dominated the race, achieving an important victory, his thirteenth in the Palio, getting closer to the record held by Andrea Degortes, known as Aceto, who has won 14 times. This event was especially notable as there had not been similar postponements in 50 years.

After crossing the finish line, Tittia fell from his horse and suffered an incident, colliding with a person in the field. The jockey was transported by ambulance to the Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital for examinations, but his condition is not concerning, as he remained conscious after the accident.

The organization confirmed the victory, which filled all members of the Nicchio Contrada with joy, while attention is now focused on Tittia's condition, who remains the most successful jockey currently active.

Experts and fans of the Palio followed the event with great anticipation, as weather conditions had threatened the race. In the end, Nicchio's success rekindled enthusiasm in the historic competition, despite Tittia's incident.

The Palio di Siena remains one of the most awaited and representative events of Italian tradition, and Nicchio's victory marks a significant moment in the history of the contrada and the Palio itself.