Storyville - Season 20 - Eps 4: The Toughest Horse Race in the World: Palio
The Palio is the oldest horse race in the world, and turns the Italian city of Siena into a high-stakes battleground of strategy, intrigue and simmering machismo. In the eye of the storm stand the jockeys - adored if they succeed, despised if they fail. This film follows the legendary maestro Gigi Bruschelli, winner of 13 races and master of the intrigues that surround the Palio, and his former protégé Giovanni Atzeni, a handsome young contender driven by a fearless passion to become number one. It exposes the notoriously closed world of this ancient race and the larger-than-life personalities of those involved in an epic and cinematic tale of Italian life in microcosm.
About Storyville
Title: Storyville
First Air Date: 1997-11-15
Last Air Date: 2025-10-28
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 7.6/10 (from 7 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 30
Total Episodes: 758
Network: BBC Four BBC Two
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: BBC Four
Synopsis
Showcasing the best in international documentaries, Storyville has developed an enviable reputation since its inception more than a decade ago. Screening over 340 films, from some 70 different countries, the strand has garnered a staggering array of awards: five Oscars, 15 Griersons, three Peabodys and two International Emmys. In true, unique, Storyville style, the new series promises to deliver the strand's usual eclectic mix of compelling stories from across the globe.