Palio

Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a comune against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate some event or tradition of the Middle Ages and thus often involve horse racing, archery, jousting, crossbow shooting, and similar medieval sports. Once purely a matter of local rivalries, many have now become events that are staged with an eye to visitors and foreign tourists.

The Palio di Siena is the only one that has been run without interruption since it started in the 1630s and is definitely the most famous all over the world. Its historical origins are documented since 1239 even though the version seen today was the final evolution of races held from the second half of the 16th century. In 1935, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini sent out an official declaration that only the one of Siena could bring the designation of Palio. All other horse races held in various parts of Italy are actually just modern reenactments. After the Second World War, nevertheless, many other palios arose throughout the various regions of Italy, which could be considered just attempts of imitation of the Palio di Siena. Here is an incomplete list:

Italian Palios

Palios with horse races

Piedmont

Palio di Asti, every third Sunday in September
Palio dei Borghi of Fossano, at the end of June
Palio storico dei Borghi di Avigliana, at Avigliana, Third Sunday in June

Sardinia

Palio of Cagliari
Palio dei Comuni of Fonni, First Sunday in June
Palio dei Comuni of Goceano
Palio "Sas Carrelas", at Bono
Palio of Sassari

Umbria

Palio (Giostra) del Giglio at Monteleone d'Orvieto, 16 August
Palio di Nera Montoro in September

Veneto

Palio di Feltre First Sunday in August. Horse race and Archery contest
Palio dei 10 Comuni del Montagnanese, at Montagnana, first Sunday in September
Palio delle contrade di Monselice Second and Third Sunday in September.

Marche

Palio dell'Assunta di Fermo, on 15 August
Palio of Montegiorgio
Palio of Sant'Emidio also called Quintana in Ascoli Piceno
Corsa del Drappo in Loreto, on 7 September
Contesa della Margutta a Corridonia, early September
Palio della miniera di zolfo di Cabernardi, early August
Palio dei Castelli in San Severino Marche, early June

Emilia-Romagna

Palio di Ferrara, Last Sunday in May
Palio del Maggio, at Savigno in May
Palio delle contrade in San Secondo Parmense
Palio di Parma,
Palio del Niballo, at Faenza
Palio di Giovecca, at Giovecca
Palio of Mordano

Sicily

Palio of Butera
Palio of Piazza Armerina, 11 to 13 August
Palio dell'Ascensione in Floridia
Palio di San Vincenzo, in Acate

Basilicata

Palio di Sant'Antonio abate in Pignola, on 17 January, a race with Horses, donkeys and mules

Abruzzo

Palio della Giostra Cavalleresca in Sulmona Last Saturday and Sunday of July
Palio della Giostra Cavalleresca dei Borghi più Belli d'Italia – in Sulmona
Palio della Giostra Cavalleresca d'Europa – Sulmona

Puglia

Palio del Viccio of Palo del Colle – held at carnival.

Palios with donkey races

Umbria

Giochi de le Porte of Gualdo Tadino

Lombardy

Piedmont

Palio degli Asini di Alba in Alba
Palio degli Asini di Cocconato in Cocconato
Palio degli Asini di Quarto d'Asti in Quarto d'Asti
Paglio ragliante di Calliano in Calliano
Palio dei Borghi in Venaria

Toscana

Palio dei Ciuchi of Campagnatico, in September
Palio dei Micci of Pozzi, frazione di Seravezza
Palio dei Ciuchi of Carmignano, in September
Palio dei somari of Bagnolo
Palio dei somari of Torrita di Siena
Palio dei Somari of Montepulciano Stazione
Giostra dei sestrieri, Palio dei Ciuchi of Roccatederighi
Palio de' Ciui of Lugnano
Palio dei somarelli of Vallerona

Campania

"Il Palio di Somma Vesuviana", second Sunday in September^[1]
"Palio del casale", Palio Nazionale degli asini, Camposano
"Palio del ciuccio", Cuccaro Vetere.

Lazio

Palio delle Contrade, in Gonfalone di Arpino.
Palio delle Contrade of Corchiano, First Sunday in August
Palio delle Contrade of Allumiere
Palio di San Ciro at Sora

Marche

Palio del Somaro in Mercatello sul Metauro

Emilia-Romagna

Friuli

Palio dei Borghi di Fagagna, second Sunday in September

Palios with boat races (Palii remieri)

Tuscany

Palio dell'Argentario, in Porto Santo Stefano, 15 August
Palio di Calcinaia of Calcinaia
Palio di San Ranieri, in Arno and Pisa on 17 June
Palio Madonna del Lago of Massaciuccoli, since 1967

Liguria

Palio Marinaro di San Pietro, at Genoa, first Sunday of July
Palio del Golfo, at La Spezia, first Sunday of August
Palio dei Sestieri, in Ventimiglia, second Sunday in August
Regata dei Rioni di Noli, in Noli, Second Sunday in September

Apulia

Palio of Taranto

Trentino

Palio dell'Oca, in Trento

Veneto

Regata Storica, in Venice^[2]

Calabria

Palio di San Giorgio, in Reggio Calabria, on 23 April

Lazio

Palio del mare of Gaeta

Palios with weapons

Tuscany

Palio della balestra in Lucca, on July 12, a crossbow contest
Palio in Pescia, an archery contest
Disfida con l'Arco in Montopoli in Val d'Arno (Pi), an archery contest
Palio del Diotto in Scarperia, on 8 September (one of the games is a knife-throwing)

Umbria

Palio di San Rufino in Assisi, a crossbow competition
Palio dei Terzieri, in August, an archery contest

Lazio

Palio of Orte, an archery contest

Friuli

Palio di San Donato, in Cividale del Friuli, last Sunday in August, an archery contest
Palio of Cordovado, first Sunday of September, an archery contest with a medieval costume parade

Emilia-Romagna

Palio di Santa Reparata e della Romagna Toscana, in Terra del Sole, a crossbow contest

Veneto

Palio della Marciliana, in Chioggia, a crossbow contest.

References

^ "Home". paliodisommavesuviana.it.
^ Official website

External links

[1] "Home". paliodisommavesuviana.it.

[2] Official website

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