Gravity Media Italy returned to Siena for the fifth consecutive year to produce the live television coverage of the historic Palio dell’Assunta, in partnership with the Consorzio per la Tutela del Palio di Siena.

Held in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Siena’s Piazza del Campo, the iconic horse race is one of Italy’s most celebrated sporting and cultural events. Gravity Media delivered the exclusive national broadcast for La7, capturing all the drama of the race while working within one of Italy’s most historically significant locations.

The production was delivered in Full HD 1080i50, with our team of 25 highly qualified specialists working across the operation. To preserve the medieval architecture and character of Piazza del Campo, the production was designed without the deployment of large OB trucks on location.

Instead, 12 cameras were positioned across a series of exclusive, high-impact vantage points around the square, including the wooden spectator stands, Vicolo San Paolo, Palco dei Priori, Il Casato curve and Palco dei Capitani. A further camera was positioned on a 30-metre-high rig on Palazzo Sansedoni, providing an elevated perspective of the action.

A key innovation for this year’s coverage was the installation of a micro-camera directly on the Verrocchio del Mossiere, providing viewers with a unique perspective of the starting line and bringing audiences closer to the action than ever before.

The delivery featured a dual control room setup, with one control room dedicated to generating the host broadcast feed and a second national integration control room located inside the foyer of the Teatro dei Rinnovati.

Gravity Media’s operation began four days ahead of the main race, with the team providing coverage of local broadcasts, six trial races and the Tratta horse assignment process on 13th August. This extended operation ensured comprehensive coverage of the build-up to one of Siena’s most anticipated annual events.

By combining specialist broadcast technology with an approach carefully designed around the unique requirements of the historic venue, Gravity Media Italy proudly delivered high-quality live coverage of the Palio dell’Assunta while respecting and showcasing the heritage of Piazza del Campo.

Read more about our delivery from SVG here: https://bit.ly/4xWtr9q