Palio di Siena, August 16, 2026: Unveiling of Teodora Axente’s Drappellone

The Drappellone for the Palio of August 16, 2026, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and commemorating the five hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Camollia, designed by Teodora Axente, was unveiled in the early evening of Monday, August 10, at 7:00 PM in the Cortile del Podestà. Following the sound of the bugles from the Palazzo and an introduction by the Mayor of Siena, Nicoletta Fabio, the artwork was presented. It will enrich the museum of the winning Contrada of the Carriera on August 16.

Teodora Axente’s Drappellone is dominated by the figure of the Virgin Mary, who is placed at the top of the composition to protect the Golden Rose, the precious gift that Pope Pius II offered to the city of Siena. The Madonna, constructed according to a pyramidal ground plan that recalls the great tradition of Sienese painting, is distinguished by the softness of her face and the expressive power of her gaze, in an ideal dialogue with the masterpieces of Simone Martini. Her large blue cloak opens to protect the city and its inhabitants, while at her feet two cherubs, whose figures merge with those of fish in the artist’s characteristic language of metamorphosis, hold the coats of arms of Siena. The fish, an ancient Christian symbol, thus also becomes a metaphor for the Sienese community, which finds the pinnacle of its collective identity in the Palio.

The work is permeated by an intense play of light and shadow, inspired by Caravaggio, causing the figures to emerge from the darkness and giving the scene a powerful theatrical dimension. Stormy clouds gather in the background, recalling the Battle of Camollia of 1526, the historical theme after which the Palio is named, while the light emitted by the Virgin transforms the sky into a symbol of hope and rebirth. At the center of the composition stands the monumental skyline of Siena, with the Palazzo Pubblico, the Torre del Mangia, and the Duomo united in a single silhouette. The light of the Madonna also illuminates Piazza del Campo, where the ten participating Contrade are depicted as solemn figures, each accompanied by its own historical coat of arms. Their arrangement is reminiscent of the bas-reliefs of Jacopo della Quercia’s Fonte Gaia and, more generally, of the structure of the great Sienese polyptychs of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, in which every figure contributes to the harmony of the whole. With a painting rich in symbolic references, precious details, and refined allusions to the local artistic tradition, Teodora Axente pays tribute to Siena, its history, and the spiritual and cultural heritage that the Palio continues to preserve and renew.

Five hundred years ago, on July 25, 1526, Siena wrote one of the most important pages in its history. The Battle of Camollia was not merely a military victory: it was the moment when an entire community demonstrated its ability to recognize itself in the defense of its freedom, its autonomy, and its identity. In that ordeal, the city found a new self-awareness. A people torn apart by division and conflict found unity in the face of something greater: the defense of the common good.

“I would like to thank the Mayor of Siena, Michela Eremita, and Riccardo Freddo for their trust, support, and for guiding me on this journey,” added Teodora Axente, painter of the Palio of August 16, 2026, “but above all, I want to thank Siena. Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to learn more about her history, her art, and her spirituality. I have felt a special connection with the Sienese tradition and with that sacred dimension that is also part of my roots. Thank you, Siena, for welcoming me and allowing me, even if only for a moment, to be part of your story.”