palio tagged posts

The Palio was made official in 1279 and rapidly transformed into the symbol of a glorious and fascinating Renaissance.

Since then rituals and dates have only changed slightly, celebration in the town has not been altered. A month of celebrations, parades, races and competitions between the eight Contrade [quarters tied to the parish] to win the precious drape dedicated to Saint George, the patron saint of Ferrara.

The already warm month of May welcomes the figurants in original costume who parade through the streets of the city centre and the hard-fought flag-throwing competitions in Piazza del Municipio take us up to the spectacular horse race in Piazza Ariostea.

A procession takes place to pay homage to the Dukes of Ferrara. This parade has close ties with the traditional “Palio” that dates back to 1259 and is much loved by tourists and locals alike. Representatives of the eight contrade of the city dress up in superb period costumes and parade through the castle to pay homage to the Duke. Each contrada tries to better the other in terms of its performances, dance and surprise elements.