"LET THE PALIO BE FINISHED WITH VIRTUE AND HONESTY, AND MAY VICTORY SMILE TO THE BEST ON THE FIELD" Sansepolcro, famous as the birthplace of Piero della Francesca, can be considered one of the most fascinating examples of Renaissance artistic civilization for the elegance and refinement of its architectural elements. Every year in September, the "Borgo di Piero" revives the prestigious traditions, atmosphere, and arts and crafts of the Renaissance. The colors, sounds, flavors, and images of "September" evoke ever-changing emotions , and visitors cannot help but be captivated by the evocative power of these highly prestigious cultural and folkloristic events.
Historical notes
In many Italian cities, during the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance, competitions in shooting with the "large" crossbow were held with the aim of encouraging shooting training of companies formed by free citizens, thus always having a military reserve available for the defense of the city.
The crossbow competition between Sansepolcro and Gubbio has been historically documented since 1594, but there are reliable historical sources that confirm that this contest took place even earlier and since then, every year, on the second Sunday of September, the Palio della Balestra has been celebrated.
Piero della Francesca himself, a great painter and illustrious citizen of Biturgia, is listed among the owners of one of the 160 municipal crossbows (his official biography states that in 1453 he was in Sansepolcro to collect one, to defend his city).
The prize for the winner of the palio consisted of the delivery of a woolen cloth (from the Latin "pallium" ), used to make a suit .
After 1500, firearms replaced crossbows in battle and these competitions disappeared throughout Italy except in Sansepolcro and Gubbio, where people continued, without interruption throughout the centuries, to honour their Patron Saints by challenging each other to crossbow shooting, according to ancient custom.
Cosimo de Medici himself, visiting the city, witnessed the Palio and wanted to try his hand at shooting.
In 1920, Prince Umberto of Savoy was Honorary President of the Crossbowmen's Society.
The historic dispute takes place in the charming setting of Piazza Torre di Berta, surrounded by Renaissance buildings.
According to ancient customs, the herald reads the challenge to the rivals of Gubbio in the morning. In the afternoon, after the blessing of the weapons, the crossbowmen of the two cities enter the square heralded by the roll of drums and the sound of trumpets, while the flag-wavers launch into the air the flags bearing the colors of the ancient neighborhoods .
The shooters from the two cities take turns on the shooting ranges wearing their Renaissance costumes , and in the silence broken only by the sharp shots of the arrows landing in the dogwood (a truncated cone-shaped target placed 36 meters away), the square relives the magic of ancient jousts.
Since 1951, on the second Sunday of September in Sansepolcro , in the evocative setting of Piazza Torre di Berta, enclosed between Renaissance buildings, the historic Palio dispute between the crossbowmen of Sansepolcro and Gubbio has taken place.
According to ancient customs, in the morning the herald reads the challenge to the rival Eugubini.
In the afternoon, after the blessing of the weapons, the crossbowmen of the two cities enter the square heralded by the roll of drums and the sound of trumpets, while the flag-wavers throw flags in the colors of the ancient neighborhoods into the air.
The shooters from the two cities take turns on the shooting ranges in their Renaissance costumes, and in the silence, broken only by the sharp shots of the arrows landing in the dogwood tree, the square relives the magic of ancient jousts.
The relationship between Gubbio and Sansepolcro, the only two cities where crossbow shooting has been practiced uninterruptedly up to the present day, has ancient origins and is documented starting from 1619, the year in which the crossbowmen of Sansepolcro invited those of Gubbio, according to an undoubtedly earlier custom, to the Palio di Sant'Egidio.
Where
Piazza Torre di Berta, 15, 52037 Sansepolcro AR, Italia
