July 3, 2010
Source: The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/world/europe/04palio.html?ref=religion_and_belief
No horse race is more sacred in Italy than the Palio, which traces its lineage back 700 years. This year, however, the hotly contested chase has taken an unexpectedly ecumenical — and disputed — twist.
For the first time, a Muslim painter was asked to design the Palio, or banner, that the winner takes home at the end of the race, which is conducted two days every year around Siena’s distinctive shell-shaped square.