The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: July first, at the Palio de Siena.

Siena is a provincial capital in the Tuscany region of Italy, 75 miles south of Florence. Located in an area known for its fine marble and Chianti wine, Siena's seen a lot of history. It was a prosperous center of banking and art in the early middle ages. The great plague of 1348 decimated Siena's population and political stature. Yet tradition endures. Tomorrow evening, its citizens will hold a horserace that has taken place every July second for more than 300 years.

The Palio de Siena is a noisy, exuberant, sometimes harrowing, pell mell race around the Piazza del Campo, the city's main square, which is actually more oval shaped. A raucous, amateur affair, it's held to satisfy the passions of the locals, rather than the pleasure of tourists. The main race, which starts promptly at 6:30, will be preceded by parades of Renaissance clad riders and drummers who give spectacular flag-waving exhibitions. The Palio, itself is pure, exhilarating chaos, with three "almost anything goes" laps of the piazza with ten riders slamming into each other all the way. Winning is more a matter of fortitude and guile than speed.

The problem is, good Palio tickets are nearly impossible for visitors to get. All grandstand seats are reserved for the locals. Owners of the houses surrounding the great oval piazza sell standing room spots in a window or a balcony for hundreds of dollars. Most visitors squeeze into the huge crowd that fills the piazza on race days and watch for free. If you ever get the chance to attend, expect an "authentic" experience, one not particularly recommended for children or the elderly.

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