Tens of thousands of spectators have gathered in the Tuscan city of Siena on Monday to watch the medieval summer horse race - the Palio - in which horsemen tear bare-back round the city's historic centre.
The race is the culmination of several days of joyful, yet fierce competition between Siena's 17 neighbourhoods.
The tension rises as neighbourhood representatives enter the main square - the Piazza del Campo - dressed in magnificent medieval garb.