Giostra della Quintana a Foligno

Every year in June, this very colorful horse carousel dating back to the seventeenth century, which involves not only the competing jockeys but also hundreds of costumed participants, is regularly held again for the joy of citizens and tourists. The Giostra was restored in 1946, after a long oblivion, and is inspired by a horse race that, in the 17th century, aimed to determine the order of priority for a knight of honor: loyalty to the prince or to the lady of the heart. For the current version, the city territory has been divided into ten districts whose names partly reflect the original ones; precisely: Rione Ammanniti; Badia; Cassero; Contrastanga; Crocebianca, Giotti; La Mora; Morlupo; Pugili and Spada. Ten knights, one for each district, thus measure their skill in trying to pass a series of rings with increasingly smaller diameters through with a lance on the running horse. The race, held at the municipal stadium, always takes place at night and is highly spectacular, followed by a large audience that cheers on their favorite. The evening before, a beautiful parade with 600 costumed participants marches through the streets of the city, warming it with colors, flags, trumpet calls, and creating atmospheres of bygone times.