2011 Giostra della Quintana: La Sfida (Tournament of the Quintana: The Challenge)

From the 2 till the 18 June it returns to Foligno the Giostra della Quintana 2011, the annual (taken back in 1946 after one century of break, ndr) knight historical ring jousting tournament that will bring back the town in the time when the women were "Dames" and the men "Messeri."

The definition of "Quintana" comes from the 5th road of the Roman military Camps , where it usually took place the training of the soldiers that, armed with lance, they launched against a puppet, commonly called "Saracino", trying to insert the ring suspended to a hand of the same.

The Giostra della Quintana is the most known and appreciated Italian equestrian competition, so much to be been suitable as "The Olympiad of the equestrian competitions": ten riders represent the ten neighborhoods of the city, that assume a for the occasion "false name" (the rider of the neighborhood Ammanniti is "The Strong one", Badia has "The game one", Cassero "The Pertinace", "The Raging one" for the Contrastanga, "The Believer" Croce Bianca, "The bold one" Giotto, "The Generous one" La Mora, "The Daring one" Morlupo, "The Moor" Pugilli and "The audacious one" Spada), and they compete in armor in saddle to a horse, with the purpose to insert the prophetic 9 separated rings in three you always return with 3 different diameters of smaller (10, 8 and 6 cms) dimensions. At the end the rider that succeeds in realizing the greatest score is awarded the Palio of the Quintana, that will be assigned at the end of the competition to the "Campo de li Giochi."

The first competition, this of June, on Saturdays are held in nighttime and it is denominated "La Sfida","The Challenge", while the second disputes will be held in the afternoon of a Sunday of September, and it has called "La Rivincita, "The Revenge".

But the Giostra della Quintana is not only the Palio. In fact, the preceding evening the competition, a procession of 600 characters in custom will unthread for the streets of the city. Don't speak of the taverns...


Following, the program of the edition 2011:

Thursday 2 June
times 20.30 at Corte di Palazzo Trinci: Cena Grande

Saturday June 4 th
times 21.00 at Campo de li Giochi "M. Formica e P. Giusti" - Official Tests

From 6 to June 17
every evening - Opening of the taverns

From Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 June
times 21.00 - Gareggiare dei Convivi (to compete of the Cohabits)

Monday 13 and Tuesday June 14 th
times 21.00 - Gareggiare dei Convivi (to compete of the Cohabits)

Friday June 17 th
from the hours 21.00 at Plaza of the Republic
Reading of the Proclamation and Benediction of the Riders
Procession of the local Representations

Saturday June 18 th
times 21.00 at Campo de li Giochi "M. Formica e P. Giusti"
Giostra della Quintana "La Sfida", "The Challenge".