Palio of the Terzieri

The Palio dei Terzieri of Città della Pieve has deeply rooted origins over the centuries, just think that these third parties are mentioned for the first time in the act of submission to the city of Perugia in 1250. This interrupted the municipal autonomy of the city due to to the protection of the emperor Federcio II of Svevia. Even the division and the urban layout of the city have something suggestive, it has remained unchanged up to the present day; the silhouette of the city in some ways resembles that of an eagle, the parts of the eagle are identified with the third parties, which represent the three censuses present in the medieval city. The head is assigned to the Castello district, an aristocrat, the Borgo Dentro district to which the bourgeois social class headed, and the Casalino district with the peasants to the tail-wing.
The palio begins on August 15 when the challenge is launched, and the palio is returned by the winner of the past year in the hands of the podestà of Castel della Pieve, to then be carried in procession on the day of the Caccia del Toro, this majestic historical procession opened by the banner of the city, it sees the participation of many figures about 800, dressed as ladies, knights, armed, commoners and fire eaters who animate the streets of the city giving it a purely medieval atmosphere. At the end of the parade the allegorical float, of purely classical inspiration, is paraded through the city street accompanied by Renaissance melodies performed by a group of musicians. On the day of the palio, after the historical procession that starts from Piazza Plebiscito and accompanies the archers to the Campo di Santa Lucia, the real challenge is held.Three champions for each district must shoot three arrows each at targets in the shape of Chianini bulls, I mounted a single carousel, each bull is marked with a band with the color of the district and for each turn, there are 3, the speed of the carousel increases and it becomes more and more difficult to hit the target. A rich banner painted by the Pievese master Antonio Marroni is awarded the prize to the district that wins the victory.
The Palio dei Terzieri and the Caccia del Toro, evoke in a bloodless way the Sienese hunts, which in the past took place in Siena, a Ghibelline city to which Città della Pieve was deeply linked for traditions, culture and above all for being together with Siena rebel against the State of the church.