Last modified: 2016-08-20 by rob raeside
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The Quintana di Ascoli Piceno competition is held in the city of
Ascoli Piceno
called Giostra della Quintana (or Games of the Quintana), which are more commonly known as the Quintana de Ascoli Piceno. In this
competition, six knights, each competing for one of the six sextiere (plural of the word sextieri, a subdivision of Italian neighborhoods
or districts, derived from sesto, one sixth) in which they ride the course one after the other trying to hit an effigy of an Arab (also
called back then Sarracen) warrior. The six sestiere are:
Sestiere Puerta Solestà (official website:
http://www.solesta.it)
Sestiere Porta Tufilla (official website:
http://www.portatufilla.it)
Sestiere Porta Romana (official website:
http://www.porta-romana.it)
Sestiere Porta Maggiore (official website:
http://www.portamaggiore.net)
Sestiere Piazzarola (official website:
http://www.sestierepiazzarola.it)
Sestiere Sant'Emidio (official website:
http://www.santemidio.it)
This practice may be derived from the period when the Arabs (also
called Sarracens) invaded the Picentes (or Picentini) people. This
festivity is celebrated in honor of Saint Emygdius (Emidio di Ascoli)
in the first sunday of August. The competition consist of several
steps:
- "la lettura del bando" (proclaim reading, opening)
- "l'offerta dei ceri" (candels offering)
- "il palio degli arcieri" (the archers' standard, an award ceremony
in which a flag is awarded to the best archer, and preceedes the
actual games)
- "il palio degli sbandieratori" (the standard of the standardbearer,
an award ceremony in which a flag is awarded for flag throwing to the
best standard bearer)
- la sfilata del corteo (court parade)
- la giostra nel campo (games on the field, which are the main event
carried out by knights)
In modern times this competition has been held annually since 1955. The
sestiere (district) with the most palios (flags) wins the competition.
Sources:
http://www.comuneap.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/5,
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintana_di_Ascoli_Piceno,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascoli_Piceno,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emygdius,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sestiere
The flags displayed in such holiday competitions can be seen here: https://discovermarche.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/quintana.jpg (source: https://discovermarche.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/a-timeless-tradition-the-quintana-of-ascoli)
Similar events of this nature are held (in Italy) as well, like the following:
- Giostra della Quintana di Foligno (official website:
http://www.quintana.it/ )
-
Giostra del Saracino di Arezzo (official website:
http://www.giostradelsaracinoarezzo.it/ ))
- Palio del Niballo di Faenza (official website:
http://www.paliodifaenza.it/ )
For additional information go to:
Quintana di Ascoli (official website)
http://www.quintanadiascoli.it
Esteban Riveraem>, 21 January 2016