The Gioco del Ponte 2010 will be next Saturday (June 26).  Literally “the game of the bridge”, it is a real “battle” on the bridge which divides the center in two halves: Ponte di Mezzo. There are two equally important parts to this event: the parade in period costume and the “battle” itself.

The historical pageant is really, really impressive. It is supposed to reproduce a military parade so an “army” of over 300 people in historical costumes parades through the center. It’s well worth a daytrip to Pisa if you are in the area. This year the parade will start later than usual at 7:30 pm.

The game starts at 9pm. 12 teams representing each of quartieri (neighbourhoods) of the city are joined in two larger teams: Tramontana, made up of the quartieri on the north side of the river Arno (Santa Maria, San Francesco, San Michele, Mattaccini, Claci and Satiri) and Mezzogiorno (Sant’Antonio, San Martino, San Marco, Leoni, Dragoni, Delfini) from the southern side of the city. Before the actual “battle”, the different teams parade on their own side of the river. A third parade is that of the 81 judges. After this display, the “battle” begins and the teams made up of really large men challenge each other by trying to push a very heavy cart onto each other’s side of the bridge using only the backs of their necks. It’s quite impressive.

This year, there will also be two large TV screens (one in Piazza della Berlina and one in front of Palazzo Blu) to allow more people to see what is going on on the bridge without the usual crowds on the Lungarno. A hot air baloon above Ponte di Mezzo will light up the river in the area where the game takes place with the colours of the team who is winning.

The cart was installed on Ponte di Mezzo yesterday. Everybody was working hard to have everything ready for tomorrow, because this year, Pisa has decided to go back to the old traditions and have a “veglia” as well. The city will be awaiting her big day with a party on the river banks at Scalo dei Renaioli, Lungarno Galilei, on the day before the event (that’s what “veglia” means in Italian),

Friday June 25. Slow Food and Argini e Margini offer a selection of local products of the Pisa province and the entrance fee is 17 euros.

Exciting novelties, although I am not so sure whether having the game so late in the evening is a good idea or if some of the people who would have come from outside the city by public transportation will come anyway this year. We will see! In the meanwhile… Forza Mezzogiorno!!!!

Interesting resources on Gioco del Ponte:

• Gioco del Ponte, Pisa – from the official Pisa tourism website.
• A video of Gioco del Ponte.

• La Scampanata, Anghiari (Arezzo), May 1-31. This festival is held every 5 years. The members of the “Società della Scampanata” make an appointment every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 6am sharp in Piazza Baldaccio. Those who come late get a public trial and are dragged around on a cart throughout the town while the other fellows throw eggs, trash and other disgusting things at them. A curious event.
  
• Flag wavers’ competition in Florence, Piazza Santa Croce, May 15.
• Festa di Ciambragina, Serre di Rapolano (Siena), May 9 and 15-16. Giovanni de’ Rossi, a 14th century merchant, married a beautiful French girl, Ciambragina, and brought her to Serre di Rapolano. They lived in the cassero. The couple comes back to life and walks through the village in period costume accompanied by the bishop, elegantly dressed noblemen, musicians and knights. Moreover, the local “cantine” (cellars) are open to visitors who can try the local traditional products.
• Festa Medievale di Malmantile, Malmantile – Lastra a Signa (Firenze), May 29-30 and June 5-6. This is one of the best events in the area. The small village of Malmantile near Lastra is essentially transfomed into an old 15th century village. Over 150 people dressed up in historical costumes bring the village back to 1400.
• La battaglia di Scannagallo (the battle of Scannagallo), Pozzo della Chiana (Arezzo), May 29-30. The local association reenacts the battle of Scannagallo, in which the Medicean troups fought the Sienese troups and won in 1555. The victory marks a major moment in the history of Tuscany. The historical accuracy is stunning. On Saturday, the battle field is open, there is a dinner and then the actors reenact the night attack to the Sienese camp. On Sunday at 3pm, the great battle is reenacted.  Really interesting.
• Fiera Medievale, Serravalle Pistoiese (Pistoia), May 15-16 and 21-23. This year’s 4th edition of the festival has an interesting “preamble”:  the “pellegrinaggio tra i castelli“, a guided walking tour of the local castles. The participants will have to wear medieval costumes.  The actual fair opens on the 21st at 8:30 pm with a medieval dinner. The following day and on Sunday, the fair opens in the castle where visitors can see how the old trades were carried out: from silk production to stone and wood carving, etc. You can even participate to the trial of a witch!
• Medieval treasure hunt, Certaldo (Florence), May 23.
• La Fiorita, Florence, Piazza della Signoria, May 23. Celebrations for the anniversary of the death of Fra’ Girolamo Savonarola.
• Balestro del Grifalco, Massa Marittima (Grosseto), May 23. The “balestro” takes place twice a year: on the fourth Sunday of May and on the 2nd Sunday of August. 24 crossbowmen challeng each other in this ancient crossbow competition, 8 for each quarter of Terziere (Borgo, Cittanuova, Cittavecchia). Before the competition, a parade in medieval costumes with 150 actors crossed the center of the beautiful town in the Metalliferous Hills of the Maremma, and some clever flag wavers perform their show.
• Festa Medievale Bianco Azzurra, Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo), May 29-30, June 1-2, 4-6. Music, medieval food, period costumes in the Cassero of Castiglion Fiorentino.
• Festa medievale, Barberino Val d’Elsa (Florence), May 29-30. The festival opens on May 29 at 5pm with a parade in period costumes and for the rest of the weekend the clocks in Barberino go back to the 13th century when the village was an important trade center.
• Palio delle Contrade, Fucecchio (Firenze), May 23. This seems nice. I read that they have a massive parade in historical costumes with 1200 people. And apparently all the best jockeys of the Palio of Siena have participated in the “corsa nella buca d’Andrea” (literally a “race in Andrea’s hole”… I know it doesn’t sound right in the English translation, but this Buca d’Andrea should be some sort of circular track…).
• Festa del Grillo (“The Cricket Festival”), Florence, May 16. A very old Florentine festival, rooted in old pagan rites celebrating the arrival of the spring. Originally, young men would leave flowers by their fiancées’ windows. Lately, the habit of leaving a cricket in a cage as well become more and more popular. A “happy” cricket is said to bring good luck to the household.
• Palio di Santo Stefano, Santo Stefano a Macerata – Cascina (Pisa), May 30. It anticipates the Gioco del Ponte taking place in Pisa at the end of June and celebrates the history town of Cascina and its role in the battle between Pisa and Florence.
• Historical Regatta “Ubaldesca”, Calcinaia (Pisa), May 30. A regatta on the River Arno, in honour of Saint Ubaldesca Taccini, the village patron saint.
• Medieval village, Montecatini Terme (Pistoia), May 30. A medieval village is recreated in the center.

Go dress up in medieval costumes and join in the celebrations!!!

If you have a green thumb (or if, like me, you wish you had), you should not miss these events:

• April 9-11, Fior di Città, Pisa. A gardening event in Pisa.
• April 10-11, Le Camelie del Chiostro, Calci (Pisa). A beautiful festival dedicated to beautiful camellias, popular in the Pisa area. The festival is at the Convento di Nicosia. Calci also has a fabulous Certosa, well worth visiting.
• April 11 and 18, Festival dei Narcisi, Fivizzano (Massa). A real celebration of spring with the daffodils in bloom at the beautiful Villa Pescigola.
• April 16-18, Orti e Horti, Lastra a Signa (Florence), a day dedicated to vegetable gardens.
• April 16-18, Festa delle Azalee, Borgo a Mozzano (Lucca), a festival dedicated to azaleas.
• April 24 and 25, Cetona in fiore (Cetona in bloom), Cetona (Siena). Flower exhibition and market in the 16th century square of the beautiful town of Cetona. Visits to private gardens are organized.
• April 24 – May 20, Giardino dell’Iris, Florence. The garden, created in 1957, is open to the public every day from 10 am to 12:30 pm and from 3 to 7 pm. If you love iris flowers, this garden is a must-see.
• April 30 – May 2, Country and Garden Show, Marina di Pietrasanta (Lucca). This is a popular events in Versilia, ideal for families with children.Entrance is free and the setting is beautiful: the fair is organized on the grounds of Villa La Versiliana.

In the Maremma area, the most popular fair, and probably the one with the longest tradition, is Fiera del Madonnino, near the village of Braccagni, Grosseto. It is quite an event in the area! I remember going there every single year when I was younger, first with my parents and then with my friends. Most of the businesses in the province will have a stand: from car dealerships to fireplace makers, from farmers selling chicks to the John Deer truck dealers, from greenhouses to porchetta and cheese producers. Most of the visitors are families: kids love the enormous tractors and the cotton candy and the small farm animals! It’s really a piece of Maremma culture. This year Fiera del Madonnino will be on from April 22-25.

So here is what I found out about April 2010 “Sagre” and other events in Tuscany. The list is certainly not exhaustive, so please, if you know of any event that might be added to this list, leave a comment! Thank you!

• April 9-11, Sagra del Ciambellino (traditional biscuit), Rigomagno (Siena).
• April 9-11, Fior di Città, Pisa in Fiore, Pisa. For those with a green thumb.
• April 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar), Certaldo (Florence).
• April 9-18, Fiera di Primavera (crafts and food and drink), Sesto Fiorentino (Florence).
• April 10-11, Rassegna Enogastronomica Mugellana, Scarperia (Florence), food and drink of the Mugello area.
• April 10-18, Festa e Palio delle Rocche, Guazzino di Sinalunga (Siena). The festival is a celebration of the Virgin Mary. There is an interesting “Palio delle Rocche” on April 18th, at 6:30 pm, in which the town quarters compete on vehicles modeled after of Roman bigas.
• April 10-11 and 17-18, Sagra del Cighiale (wild boar), Ronta (Florence).
• April 11, Festa della Pina, Pieve ad Lamulas, Montelaterone, (Grosseto). This festival has a special place in my heart. It is a very ancient festival, in which young couples exchange colourful pine cones as a symbol of their love. The festival takes place by the ancient Pieve ad Lamulas (9th century), on Monte Amiata, which happens to be the church where we got married! The place is really beautiful and the festival dates back to the Roman era.
• April 11, Festa del Fiore e del Coccio, Torrita (Siena). Fair dedicated to ceramics decorated with flower motifs.
• April 11, 18 and 25, Festa della Civiltà Contadina, Montefoscoli (Pisa). Fair dedicated to the agricultural traditions of the area. Nice antique market.
• April 16-18, Piazze d’Europa, Grosseto. For 3 days, Grosseto houses a market of arts, crafts and traditional products of many European countries.
• April 17 and 18, Piazze del Gusto, Arezzo. Festival dedicated to the products of the province Arezzo, with 6 different types of food and drink in 6 different squares of the city.
• April 17 and 18, Enolia, Seravezza (Lucca), a festival dedicated to olive oil in front of the beautiful Palazzo Mediceo. If you like cycling you might be interested in the bike tour among the olive trees on the 18th at 9:30 am.
• April 17.18 and 24-25, Sagra del Tortello (large ravioli-type pasta), Scarperia (Florence).
• April 18, Cronomania, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence). Fair dedicated to those who collect watches. Curious.
• April 22-25, Sagra della Trota (trout), Bucine (Arezzo).
• April 23-25, 30 and May 1 and 2, Sagra della fava, baccalà e frittura di pesce (broad beans, dried salted cod soup and fried fish) Arcille (Grosseto).
• April 24 and 25, Chiusure in Piazza, Chiusure (Siena). Two days dedicated to artichoke tradition in the beautiful Crete Senesi. Two nice events are BiciCreta, a bike tour of the Crete, on April 24th at 9:45am and on the same day the possibility to take a ride on the Treno Natura stem engine train.
• April 24-25, Fiera dell’Elettronica, Pisa. For those who love technological gadgets more than food and traditions!
• April 24 – May 2, Art 2010, Fiera dell’Artigianato in Florence. Very large and popular fair dedicated to arts and crafts.
• April 25, Festa della Stagion Bona, Panzano (Florence). Literally the “festival of good weather”, the event commemorates the rivalry between the Gherardini and the Firidolfi families with a reenactment in period costumes. Lots of good Chianti food and wine.
• April 25, Regata di Primavera, Porto Santo Stefano (Grosseto). The regatta is at 6 pm, but if food is served starting in the morning. Porto Santo Stefano is a lovely town on the coast of the Maremma, in the area called Argentario.
• April 25, Il Gioco della Ruzzola, Petricci, (Grosseto). This festival brings visitors back to the time when a round piece of wood (la ruzzola) was enough to entertain people. It is also the perfect opportunity for a nice walk in an undiscovered, yet stunning, part of Tuscany. The link above will take you to a page with a video of past editions.
• April 25, Marcia dell’Indipendenza, Siena. April 25th is the day Italy celebrates the Liberation from the Fascist regime. But this Independence March has nothing to do with those events! It is a relay walk to Montalcino and back, and commemorates the “exodus” of the Sienese people in 1555 after Cosimo de’ Medici conquered the city.
• April 25, Rassegna della Pastorizia, Cutigliano (Pistoia). A day organized by Slow Food and dedicated to sheep-farming and its products in this beautiful village. If you love cheese, you have to go.
• April 25 and May 1, Sagra della Lumaca (snail), Cavriglia (Arezzo).
• April 25, May 1 and 2, I Vantaggi del Buon Gusto (the advantages of good taste), Vinci (Florence). Interesting days dedicated to food and colours. April 25 is dedicated to “green products”, May 1 and 2 are dedicated to “red products”. On April 25, you can also take a walk called “Sui Passi di Leonardo”. Reservations are required.
• April 25, May 1 and 2, Sagra del Baccello (broad beans), La Serra, San Miniato (Pisa).
• April 29 -  May 2, Spinofiorito, Massa. A festival dedicated to the tradition of local wines and products of Tuscany.
• April 30, May 1-2 and 8-9, Sagra della Porchetta (roast pork), Valenza (Massa).

If you would like to see anything else listed here, please leave a comment!

November 30 is Festa della Toscana (Tuscany Day). The festivity is recent: it has only been celebrated since 2001, but the occasion is quite remarkable. Today, Tuscany celebrates the 223rd anniversary since Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo abolished the death penalty and torture in 1786. Tuscany was the first “country” (it was an independent country back then) to end capital punishment, and this, I believe, is a good reason to be very proud.

Pietro Leopoldo believed that death penalty and torture were practices “convenient only to barbarian people”, and 223 years ago, a similar stance was certainly a progressive way of thinking. It still is.

In Italy, we celebrate Ognissanti or simply I Santi (All Saints’ Day) on November 1st and I morti (All Souls’ Day) on November 2nd. Only the former is an actual holiday. Traditionally, this marks the beginning of the olive harvest in my family: starting November 3rd, we all spend a few hours in the olive groves every day, until all the olive trees have been harvested. This year it promises to be a good, “tiring” year, as, contrary to most people in our area, our trees are loaded with hundreds of (still) green and purple berries!

Obviously, Ognissanti, il Giorno dei Morti and Halloween all have roots in some “pagan” festival, promptly substituted with a religious festivity as is common in the history of the Christian church. I think it was Pope Gregory III to pick November 1st  for All Saints’ Day in the 8th century, so that it would overlap with the Samhain, the Celtic celebration of the New Year. All Souls’ Day was a later addition. The Abbey of Cluny started celebrating the memory of the dead on November 2nd only at the end of the 10th century was this habit extended to the entire Roman Catholic Church.

All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are celebrated with the family (what holiday is not in this country!?). Ognissanti is a festive day, on which people go to mass and then have lunch together. In Tuscany we celebrate Ognissanti with two typical desserts: Schiaccia dei Santi (elsewhere schiacciata, meaning focaccia) and Pane dei Santi (meaning All Saints’ bread). Schiaccia dei Santi is a type of focaccia and it contains raisins, figs and walnuts. Pane dei Santi is exactly the same, but instead of being crispy and thin, the same ingredients are added to bread dough. Castagnaccio, a delicious cake made with chestnut flour, is often prepared in this time of the year.

On All Souls’ Day, I Morti, people go to the cemetery and pay their respects to their beloved departed ones. Most people who have moved away from the village return for the occasion and bring flowers. The traditional flower for the occasion are chrysanthemums. They symbolize death in our culture, and are always associated with cemeteries and graveyards (so don’t give them as a present!). Il Giorno dei Morti is somehow a sad day, but also a day in which you meet people you don’t often see and get a chance to think about the people who are not here anymore.

Over the last few years, people have been organizing Halloween parties in almost every large town and city. Halloween themed decorations and candies are sold in shops and it’s not uncommon to see people dressed up in Halloween costumes. Every year the Catholic Church does all it can to remind people that Halloween is a “heathen tradition”, but apparently, consumerism is managing to bring back what Celtic people had to give up a few centuries ago.

Some of the Halloween traditions, though, are also popular in Tuscany. I remember carving pumpkins with my grandmother when I was a kid, and putting them on our balcony with candles inside. Pumpkin carving was more a seasonal activity though, rather than being related to a particular day.

I think that, this year, I’ll indulge in some Tuscan Halloween stories anyway… Just because I really like mystery stories!

Ferragosto, though, has much more ancient origins. As in the case of most of the other big religious holidays, the Roman Church has replaced ancient pagan holidays with a Catholic “Holy Day of Obligation”, that is a day that commemorates some important dogma or religious event.

Ferragosto marks the end of the hardest time of the year as far as work in the fields goes, after the crops have been harvested and the land has been ploughed again. The Romans celebrated the Goddess Diana and the cycle of fertility and ripening throughout the month of August. The name of the holiday itself is reminiscent of the Latin name for these celebrations, that is Feriae Augusti, which means “Emperor Augustus’ vacation days”. (For those who have enjoyed the HBO series Rome as much as I did, it might be interesting to know that the celebrations of the Feriae Augusti were created in the year 18 B.C. by Octavian, known as Augustus after he became the first Emperor of the Roman Empire). But even before then, the Romans used to celebrate Consualia to honour the Consus, God of the harvests.

The Romans used to celebrate these August holidays with horse races, a tradition that’s still kept alive by the many festivals organized throughout the country. In Tuscany, for instance, the second Palio of Siena takes place on the 16th.

The  most typical way to celebrate Ferragosto is to go on a so-called “gita fuori porta“, literally a “day trip to some place outside the city gates”. Most people go to the beach, or have a picnic in the woods on the nearest mountain or in the countryside.

In our area, the most common “gite” are either a day on the beach (but beware of “gavettoni“, waterfilled bags thrown at people trying to relax in the sun) or on Monte Amiata. Most people go for a picnic or a barbecue to Prato della Contessa or Prato delle Macinaie, but also to the beech woods of La Madonna del Camicione or at Le Fonti delle Monache. Both beautiful places.

We will celebrate with a dinner at La Locanda nel Cassero tonight!

Ferragosto is very popular in movies and novels too. For cinema and literature lovers, here is a list of books and films about Ferragosto.

• Testamatta Wine Festival, July 2-23, Castello di Vincigliata, Fiesole (Florence)
• Sagra del Pesce (seafood festival), July 3-19, Badesse (Siena)
• Festa della birra (beer festival), July 10-12, Montemurlo (Prato)
• Festa della birra di montagna (mountain beer festival – mostly chestnut beer), July 11-12, Castagno d’Andrea (Florence)
• Sagra della zuppa (soup festival), July 11-12 and 16-19, Massarella (Florence)
• Jazz & Wine, July 15-19 and 23-25, Montalcino (Siena)
• Festa della musica (music festival), July 16-19, Chianciano Terme (Siena)
• Festa della birra (beer festival), July 17-19, Pieve Santo Stefano (Arezzo)
• Sagra del maiale e della pecora (pork and sheep meat festival), July 17-26, Monterotondo Marittimo (Grosseto)
• A pesca con il Montecucco (fishing with Montecucco wine), July 18, Cinigiano (Grosseto)
• Sagra della birra e dello gnocco (beer and gnocco festival), July 18-19, Roccalbegna, Grosseto
• Festa del tartufo d’estate (summer truffle festival), July 18-19, Castell’Azzara (Gr0sset0)
• Sagra del cocomero (watermelon festival), July 19, Rocca di Montemurlo (Prato)
• Festa dell’Unicorno, July 24-26, Vinci (Florence)
• Sagra del tortello (ravioli festival), July 24-26, Grezzano Borgo San Lorenzo (Florence)
• Sagra della patata (potato festival), July 24-26, Roccastrada (Grosseto)
• Torneo fra butteri (butteri tournament), July 27, Capalbio (Grosseto) – the Maremman butteri are like cowboys
• Sagra del fungo porcino (porcini mushroom festival), July 24-26, Palazzolo (Florence)
• Il vino e le stelle (wine and stars), July 25, San Casciano Val di Pesa (Florence)

The simplest answer might not be the most suitable though, because nobody who has been to Siena even just once would agree that the Palio is just a horse race. For the people of Siena, the Palio is a cult, it is a matter of life and death, something absolutely serious.

City life revolves around it: the contrade prepare the competition meticulously throughout the year.

The Palio as we know it dates back to the 17th century. The celebrations go on for 4 days. On the first day (June 29th and August 13th), the training trial takes place very early in the morning. On the same day, the “tratta” (literally, the “trade“) begins, that is the operation through which the horses are assigned to the 10 contrade competing. Once a horse has been assigned to a contrada, it is entrusted to a person called the “barbaresco“, who, accompanied by the people of the contrada (or “contradaioli“), takes it to its stable. Then in the evening, there is the first of the 6 trials that take place before the actual Palio.

The barbaresco escorts the horse to Piazza del Campo followed by a large group of contradaioli singing traditional songs. It is possible to see the trials by sitting on the stands placed around the perimeter of the square. This first trial is meant to test both the horse, which cannot be changed anyway, and the “fantino”, the jockey, who can be changed up until the day of the Palio. The contrade enter the Piazza in the same order as on the day of the Palio.

On the second day (June 30th or August 14th), at 9 am, there is the second trial. The third trial is in the evening.

On the third day, the day before the Palio (July 1st and August 15th), there is a fourth trial at 9am and then, around 7pm, there is the “prova generale“, the general trial.  The prova generale is preceded by the traditional “carica dei carabinieri” on horseback. After the prova generale, every contrada has a dinner where contradaioli, the Captain of the contrada, the jockey and even tourists party together. After the dinner the captain of the contrada goes to meet the captains of the friendly contrade to form alliances against the enemy contrade. All the agreements are verbal.

On the day of the Palio (July 2nd and August 16th), at 7:45 in the chapel next to the Town Hall, the Archbishop of Siena celebrates the “Messa del Fantino“, the mass for the jockeys. At 9am there is the “provaccia“, literally the “bad trial”, which received this name because the contradaioli are generally not very interested in it. After the provaccia, the jockeys and the captains go to the Town Hall to register the jockey and the jacket with which he will ride.

Around 3pm, after the ceremony of the comparsa’s dressing, both this latter and the horse are blessed by the priest of the contrada church: the priest closes the blessing by telling the horse “vai e torna vincitore“, “go and come back a winner”. After the blessing ceremony, the contrade’s comparse and the town’s minor figures dressed up in historical costumes walk through the center stopping to perform their flag-waving show in Piazza Salimbeni opposite the Casino dei Nobili, in front of Palazzo Chigi Saraceni and by the Duomo.

Around 2:50 pm, the flag-wavers’ procession leaves the courtyard of Palazzo del Governo in Piazza del Duomo and goes to Piazza del Campo. Around 4pm the parade in historical costumes enters the Campo. At 7pm the “drappellone“, the drape, is brought to the judges’ box while the 17 “alfieri“, the flag-wavers, perform their show. The Palio follows immediately after.

A mortar is fired and the horses enter the square from the door called Entrone. Every jockey receives a whip which is used to “spur” the horse and to hamper his rivals. The jockeys then move towards the “mossa“, that is the spot where the “canapi“, the ropes that mark the starting line, are pulled. The order in which the horses are supposed to enter the ropes (i canapi) is regulated. The different contrade are drawn and called by the “mossiere“, the person who start the race.

When it’s time the horse of the last contrada takes a run-up and enters and the race begins. If the start is not valid, the “mossiere” stops the race and the ritual of the entrance in the “canapi” starts all over again. This can take some time, because while waiting, the jockeys talk to try and make alliances. If the start is valid, the horses have to run three times around the square. It is the horse that wins, even if it gets to the finishing line without the jockey, or as they call it, as a “cavallo scosso“.

The celebrations begin immediately, with the contradaioli jumping over the fence to touch the winning horse and jockey and of course to get the Palio. They bring the Palio to Provenzano in July and to the Cathedral in August to sing the Te Deum to thank God for the victory. The official celebration is in September and it’s called Cena della Vittoria. It’s a street party with lots of people, music and good food. And of course the guest of honour: the horse!

Dos and Don’ts for visitors

The days of the Palio are days of excitement and tension at the same time… although the people from Siena are happy to share their passion with tourists, there are some things that travelers should remember:

• never try to touch the horses
• if you are admitted to the horse blessing ceremony (you might not be allowed in the Contrada church), remain silent and do not use the flash if you want to take photos.
• if you want to see the Prova Generale you need to ask one of the contrade in advance and pay a small entrance fee.
• if you decide to watch the Palio in the square, don’t hold people on your shoulders: that would block the view of the other people in the square. Given the crowd, it is recommend not to bring children to the square, unless you rent a seat.
• you are not allowed to bring chairs or stools.
• don’t be sarcastic and don’t make fun of the contradaioli’s reactions to the events, and don’t complain if the start is delayed. The person next to you could be very nervous…!
• bring a lot of water: it can be very hot in July and August in the middle of a crowded square for hours. There is no way to get out of there until the Palio is over.
• there are no bathrooms.
• if you feel you are not sure about standing in the sun for hours with no chance of getting out, find a nice bar and watch the Palio there with the locals!
• if you wish to see the race live, book tickets to the Palio and watch it from the balconies.

A little update – Sept. 9, 2011

A great article: Palio of Siena, experience… with kids.

A dinner in Siena – eating and drinking among the contradaioli.

Read the report of our experience at a “cena di Contrada“!

If you happen to be in Tuscany in June, this is what you might not want to miss:

• Torneo di San Giovanni, Florence, June 13, 14 and 24. This is the official name of the famous “calcio fiorentino” (Florentine football) or “calcio in livrea”. The origins of this sport can be traced back to the ancient Roman game called arpasto, and in the middle ages it became the most practiced sport in Florence. Over the centuries, it grew in importance thanks to the interest it raised among the noblemen of the city, who started organizing tournaments in the main squares. A curiosity: some men who were to become Pope are remembered among the most famous players of the game, such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII. After 200 years of neglect, the tradition of this sport was revived in 1930. Since then, every year, the 4 historical quarters of Florence (Bianchi di Santo Spirito in white, Azzurri di Santa Croce in blue, Rossi di Santa Maria Novella in red, and Verdi di San Giovanni in green) play a tournament in the beautiful setting of Piazza Santa Croce. The matches are preceded by a parade in period costumes (Corteo Storico della Repubblica Fiorentina) which crosses the center from Piazza Santa Maria Novella to the very special “football field”.
• Giostra del Saracino, Arezzo, June 20. This is the most representative celebration of the old medieval times. The Giostra is a horseback tournament, during which two knights, one from each of the “rioni” or neighbourhoods of the city, fight a “manikin” on a pole that resembles an Arab, a  “Saracino“, the term used by Catholics in the Middle Ages to refer to Muslims.
• Il Gioco del Ponte or the battle of the bridge, Pisa, June 27. More on this on our page on Giugno Pisano.
• Luminara and Regatta of San Ranieri, Pisa, June 16 and 17. More on this on our page on Giugno Pisano.
• Ferie delle Messi (the harvest festival) and Giostra dei Bastoni (the tournament of “sticks”), San Gimignano (Siena), June 19-21. The Association of the Knights of Santa Fina re-enact some famous events in the medieval history of the town. The event celebrates the “ferie messium”, the propitiatory rites which the population used to perform in the hope for a good harvest. The Ferie Messium were also the occasion for some fun, and the Giostra dei Bastoni was one of the many events which entertained the population of San Gimignano during the days of the harvest festival. The Giostra is on Sunday 21, at 6pm.
• Torneo di Palazzo Pitti, Florence, June 20. Tournament featuring a series of medieval games (with knife throwers, crossbowmen, bowmen, etc.) celebrating the Patron Saint of the city, Saint John the Baptist. The tournament is opened by a flag waving show at 6 in Piazza Pitti. There will also be a re-enactment of an old Florentine market with craftsmen and jugglers.
• Palio della Vittoria, Anghiari (Arezzo), June 29. Every year, on this day, the town commemorates the historical battle of Anghiari (June 29, 1440) which decided the borders of the Granducato di Toscana thanks to the victory of the Florentine and Vatican armies over the Venetian and Milanese armies. The parades starts at 8:15 pm and after the Palio, the celebrations continue with a banquet at Castello dei Sorci.
• Torneo Cavalleresco della Massa Trabaria, Sestino (Arezzo), June 28. Massa Trabaria was the name given to a province of the Vatican State at a crossroads between Tuscany, Umbria, Emilia Romagna and Le Marche. Nice village and nice period costume parade.
• Volo del Ciuco (the Flight of the Donkey), Empoli, June 13. This bizarre festival dates back to the 14th century when it was decided that every year, after the religious festivity of Corpus Domini, a donkey should be brought to the top of the bell-tower of the Collegiata of Empoli, tied to a pulley and slid along a rope down to the Ghibellino Palace. Obviously, nowadays, the donkey is not a real one but a puppet.
• Giostra cavalleresca (Knights tournament) and Festival del Folklore (Folklore Festival), Figline Valdarno (Florence), June 13-14. Two days of celebrations in Piazza Ficino with the Osterie of the town quarters. On the 13th there will be a market called Il Triocco and a flag waving show.
• Il Bianco e L’Azzurro (the White and the Blue), San Quirico d’Orcia (Siena), June 13-14. A medieval festival with flag waving shows, bowmen and a medieval dinner (reservation necessary).
• A cena da Messer Giovanni (Dinner at Messer Giovanni’s), Certaldo (Florence), June 13. Medievl dinner for 150 people. Reservation necessary.
• Palio dei Rioni, Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo), June 21. A horseback race in honour of the Madonna delle Grazie del Rivaio.
• Palio dei Ciuchi, Cerbaia (Florence), June 21. A donkey race following a parade with people in medieval costumes, flag wavers and musicians.
• Palio della Rivalsa, Bettolle di Sinalunga (Siena), June 21. The celebrations start at 5:30 with a parade. At 6:45 the palio begins: the “barellieri” carry a wooden amphora while the “scalatori” (climbers) must put off a fire placed at the top of a 5 meter-high pole.
• Menar mascelle all’or di cena (literally “moving jaws at dinner time”), Vinci (Florence), June 26. Amazing candlelight dinner with waiters in medieval costume, flag wavers and musicians in the beautiful Italian garden of the Villa del Ferrale overlooking the countryside. Reservation required.
• Oste in Festa, Oste di Montemurlo (Prato), June 25-28. Medieval dinner on Jun e 25, Palio della Ruzzola dei Cerchi e delle Botti on June 27, antique market on June 28.
• Festa del Barbarossa, San Quirico d’Orcia (Siena), June 27-28. Two days of re-enactment of the Middle Ages in this town on the Via Francigena to commemorate the meeting of Frederick I of Hohenstaufen duke of Swabia (called Il Barbarossa – the red-bearded man) and Pope Adrian VI.