Palio of the Districts of Ferrara

It is said that as early as 1259, to celebrate the victory of the papal army over the imperial one, the people of Ferrara organized footraces, horse races, and donkey races along the city’s streets, and that, in later times, the tradition of organizing races and parades to celebrate even minor events, such as births and weddings, took hold. This tradition became so established that, in 1279, the obligation was established to race on April 23 in honor of the patron saint Saint George and on August 15 in honor of the Madonna. Today, the Palio celebrations are divided into three well-defined moments:

• on the first Saturday of May, the flag bearers of the four districts into which the ancient city is divided carry the candles to the cathedral, where the palii or drapes are blessed, representing the trophy for the race winners.;
• The third Saturday of the month, in the late afternoon, a spectacular historical costume parade takes place through the city streets, involving about a thousand participants who bring to life performances of singing, dancing, and small theatrical pieces in the splendid setting of the Castle Estense square;
• The last Sunday of May, the districts take the field in the Ariostea square and compete in the girls’ race for the conquest of the San Paolo Palio; the boys’ race for the conquest of the San Romano Palio; the donkey race for the San Maurelio Palio.