Events - Assisi Stepts Back to the Middle Ages for the Calendimaggio

Assisi (Pg) From May 8th to 10th the clocks in Assisi will be turned back over 500 years for the city’s Calendimaggio Medieval pageant, with people dressed in period costume, processions, performers playing on period instruments, archers, flag-throwers and more. The Calendimaggio is a competition between the city’s two factions – once fiercely opposed during the Guelph and Ghibelline struggles between Church and Empire that racked the whole of Italy during the Middle Ages. The opening ceremony for the Parte de Sotto faction will be celebrated in St Francis’, while the opposed Parte de Sopra will be in the Cathedral of San Rufino. In Piazza del Comune the Maestro di Campo officially assumes control of the city for the duration of the entire event, which will culminate in the awarding of the coveted Palio to the best team. Info: 075.812534, e-mail info@iat.assisi.pg.it.

Programme
Thursday May 8th
On the first day of the Calendimaggio everyone dresses in period costume and the town is lit exclusively by torchlight after dark. Everything is ready for the two factions (the Parte de Sopra in red and silver and the Parte de Sotto in blue with a tower) to begin their struggle to win the coveted Gonfalone.
After an opening blessing the competition begins when the two procession meet in Piazza del Comune, where the mayor hands the keys of the city to the Maestro del Campo. This is followed by the reading out loud of the various contests. The first contest usually consists of a kind of witty ‘slinging match’ in the vernacular, which is shown on mega-screens to the audience gathered in the main square at around 9.30pm.
Friday May 9th
This day is dedicated to the Medieval games for the election of the so-called “Madonna Primavera”: tug-of-war, crossbow competition and the treggia race in a kind of wooden sleigh traditionally used to transport hay. The winning team earns one of the five Madonnas that confer the title of Madonna Primavera on the team that wins the most during the entire event. Scenes from Medieval life are enacted at around 9.30pm.
Saturday May 10th

The Parte de Sopra and the Parte de Sotto process in period Medieval costume at 3.30pm. At 9pm a procession of performers in Medieval garb opens the song competition, with each faction allowed to propose three songs, to the accompaniment of lutes, harps, drums and flutes. The jury meets in the 13th century Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo with the Maestro del Campo, and will emerge with the announcement of the winning faction.

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