Arezzo - Men in Tights!

David and I took a trip to the hilltop town of Arezzo on the first Sunday in September thinking that we would be seeing the Antique Fair that takes place the first Sunday of the month. And we did see that - but we saw so much more! It seems we rolled into town on the same day of the festive Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen) which celebrates the rout of the Saracens (or Muslims) from Arezzo during the Middle Ages.

Four quarters of the city put up two of their best jousters to compete in the festival, which for some reason is actually held twice a year. In June the jousting contest is held at night, and in September it's held during the day.

Everyone wears their colors, showing which quarter they support...

Porta Crucifera - red and green colors

Porta del Foro - yellow and crimson colors

Porta S. Andrea - white and green colors

Porta S. Spirito - yellow and blue colors

We saw a couple of parades while we were there - the first we watched from a wall above the street - all participants in medieval costume - the archers with crossbows, the lancers, drummers and trumpeters - a cannon blast that made me jump out of my skin, lots of banners and standards being held aloft, church bells ringing.

After it was over I turned to an older gentleman next to me and asked if he could suggest a restaurant with good food at a good price. He walked us through the antique market, talking about the fort (the antique fair was at the base of the fort instead of the main piazza because of the joust competition), and pointing to the area where he lived as we walked down the hill. We went so far that I was beginning to wonder just what I had asked him in my broken Italian, but finally we came to a small square, and he pointed to one restaurant on the level below us and another on the same level as the square - I felt he was trying to say that either restaurant would be a good choice.

David and I were enjoying a lovely lunch in Ristorante Il Pulcinella when a gang of young men wearing t-shirts, tights and some really cool boots broke the calm as they entered the restaurant, briskly taking their places at the large table set for their party.  They were Culcitrone - supporters of the Porta Crucifera quarter.  They sure could pack away some food!  I was too shy to take a photo of them, but here's a photo of one of their youngest supporters – waving the red and green. 

We walked and walked after lunch, looking at all the antiques - furniture, china, chandeliers, jewelry, lamps, silver, vintage clothes, tools - all sorts of things.  At one point I remember turning around and looking out over a low wall on which some men were sitting and seeing a landscape so lovely, so beautiful, so perfectly Tuscan that I thought it wasn't real.  No photograph would have done the view justice.

Lanzi (lancers) of the Porto del Foro Quarter

At that point another cannon blast awoke me from my reverie and the church bells started ringing wildly.  Then we heard the drums - another parade.  I rushed over but there was no good vantage point - the crowds had really grown.  This parade had a lot of horsemen - knights and their valets, some carrying items that I suppose had significance to the festival . . . and of course, the lancers, the archers, the banners, the musicians.  It was a quite a spectacle.  In the South we have Civil War re-enactments, and in Italy they have these Medieval Festivals.  Everybody gets to dress up and symbolically kill somebody.

 

Heading towards Chaos near Santa Maria del Pieve



After the parade we started heading towards the train station.  The crowds were getting bigger and bigger – like Game Day in Auburn, but maybe worse.  A big hubbub broke out at the intersection, and (I think) the jousting competitors on horseback rode through the crowds on their way to the main piazza - Piazza Grande - where the joust takes place.  As the different colors came through, spectators in the crowd would cheer or jeer based on their loyalties.  David was getting quite nervous as the policemen joined hands and pushed the crowds back.  He is crowd-phobic.  But we managed to slip through sideways and get clear of the main crush.  We almost missed our train because of that little crowd incident, but since I survived, I thought it was exciting!  I definitely want to go back to Arezzo.

If you would like to read more about the traditions of this old festival, check out this link
Horse Jousting in Arezzo