Palio di Asti

Last updated
The ancient course of the Palio, from an 18th-century engraving. The ancient church of San Lazzaro and the cippo del pilone (stone pylon - the starting point of the race) are visible in the background; San Secondo of Asti, to whom the race is dedicated, is in the center, and in the foreground two competitors are about to enter the city through the gate of San Pietro. Part corsa del palio di asti XVIII secolo.jpg
The ancient course of the Palio, from an 18th-century engraving. The ancient church of San Lazzaro and the cippo del pilone (stone pylon - the starting point of the race) are visible in the background; San Secondo of Asti, to whom the race is dedicated, is in the center, and in the foreground two competitors are about to enter the city through the gate of San Pietro.

The Palio di Asti (or Palio Astese in its most archaic nomenclature) is a traditional Italian festival of medieval origin that culminates with a bareback horse race.

Contents

The race has been run each year since the 13th century. [1] The earliest record, cited by Guglielmo Ventura, [2] dates from the third quarter of the 13th century. It has taken place every year, with the exception of a period in the 1870s and a 30 year interruption in the 20th century.

Since 1988, the race has taken place in a triangular 'square' in the center of Asti, the Piazza Alfieri, on every third Sunday of September; since 2018 the race is held every first Sunday of September instead.

Etymology

The word Palio derives from the Latin pallium , a rectangular sheet of cloth that the Romans wore as a cloak. Originally, the word applied only to the piece of cloth that was placed at the finishing post and awarded to the winner of the race.

Over time the word came to apply to the event in general, including all the rituals and traditions associated with the race, as well as the race itself.

History

Origins

Since the inception of the race, the citizens of Asti have struggled to maintain the privilege of running the Palio on the feast day of their patron saint, San Secondo, bishop of Asti, martyred on 30 March 119. The race is mentioned in many treaties and alliance agreements with various sovereigns, patrons and rulers.

The first certain record of the race dates from 1275. In that year Guglielmo Ventura wrote that Asti, sicut fieri solet Ast, in festo Beati Secundi (as is usual in Asti, during the Feast of San Secondo), ran a Palio under the walls of enemy city of Alba in order to mock its inhabitants, in the meantime devastating the surrounding vineyards.

Considering that the Palio was already a tradition in 1275, it is probable that the origins of the race date to some time after 1000, with established rules from the 13th century onwards - the period of Asti's greatest splendor.

From the end of the 13th century to the first half of the 14th century, the race took place alla tonda (in the round), along a circular course that corresponds to the modern Piazza Alfieri and Piazza Libertà. This course had already been called the curriculum (race course in Latin) in the periods of Lombard and Carolingian domination.

Seeking to strengthen the city militarily, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who became the signore (lord) of Asti in 1382, built a new fortified citadel at the curriculum.

Fresco by Ottavio Baussano in the Palazzo del Comune, showing the 'straight' course of the Palio Palio alla lunga comune.jpg
Fresco by Ottavio Baussano in the Palazzo del Comune, showing the 'straight' course of the Palio

To accommodate the new fortifications, the race was moved to a straight course of about two and a half kilometers that started outside the town and ended near its center. The new course started at the cippo del pilone (the milestone that gave its name to Viale Pilone), passed through the Porta San Pietro, along the bridge on Rio Valmanera, along the Contrada Maestra (now the Corso Alfieri, the main street of the town), finishing at the Palazzo Gabuti di Bestagno, the current Palazzo Ottolenghi.

Visconti agreed that the race should continue to be held

"in festa Sancti Secundi iuxta consuetudinem, omni contradictione remota" (at the Festival of San Secondo just as usual, all objections refused).

Documents kept in Asti's archives at the Palazzo Mazzola record that the expenditure incurred for the race was two palii (the plural of palio): one offered to the church of San Secondo, the other given to the winner. This is significant, because it reveals the degree of religious devotion that once accompanied the event.

Sometime between 1440 and 1464, Charles, Duke of Orléans, visiting the County of Asti that he inherited from his mother Valentina Visconti, offered as a prize a palio of crimson velvet, decorated by three golden lilies on a blue background.

The Savoys

Notice by the Comune of Asti relating to the Palio of 1836. Manifesto 1800.jpg
Notice by the Comune of Asti relating to the Palio of 1836.

When Emanuele Filiberto assumed the regency of the city on May 20, 1545, he confirmed and documented the ancient customs of the festival, promising that he and his successors would supply the palii in perpetuity.

His code stated that the following could enter horses in the race: "all the city of Asti, all the churches of Asti, including those of the trade associations, the college, the university, the company and the citizenry, all in the name of the said churches and chapels, everything that conforms with the ancient styles, customs and privileges of that city."

In the 18th century the palii were combined to make a banner, usually blue, decorated with coats of arms of Savoy, the comune, the governor and the podestà (chief magistrate). The image of San Secondo riding a horse made its appearance on the palio banner dedicated to the church: at the end of the nineteenth century, it was also present on the palio banner given to the winner.

The race originally took place on March 30 each year, at the Feast of San Secondo. From the 15th century both the day of the Palio and the Feast of San Secondo were moved to the Thursday after the Domenica in Albis - i.e. the second Thursday after Easter. In the early years of the 19th century the race was held three days later, on the second Sunday after Easter.

In 1818 the celebration of San Secondo was moved again, to the first Tuesday of May, so the race was moved to that date.

In 1861, new "Regulations for the horse race around the new Market Square" were published. The market square referred to is the Campo del Palio (Palio Field), a very large square that is today a car park and the site of Asti's weekly market. This new venue represented a radical change: from the late 14th century, the Palio had run along a straight course.

In 1863, the event became a secular horse race, losing its traditional religious significance. Palios like Asti’s inspired similar celebrations in other parts of Italy, including the Palio di Castellanza, which also honors historical and religious traditions. Though unique to each town, these events reflect a broader Italian practice of using historical reenactments and competitions to preserve local heritage.

The Fascist Era

1930's manifesto by Ottavio Baussano Manifesto palio.jpg
1930's manifesto by Ottavio Baussano

The festival was revived in 1929 by the Podestà (Mayor) of Asti, Vincenzo Buronzo. In that year, the Palio was again held on a straight course, this time on Corso Dante - an uphill distance of about 1300 m.

In 1936, Benito Mussolini ordered that the palio be changed to a certame cavalleresco (chivalrous contest). The palio of Legnano received similar instructions. In spite of this, the seven events held in Asti during the two decades of fascism kept the memory of the Palio alive, and the loss of this ancient tradition was avoided.

On May 3, 1936, during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, soldiers of the 104th Legion of Black Shirts, mainly composed of Asti residents, ran a special donkey palio on the banks of Lake Ashenge in Ethiopia. The events of the day were recorded in the Asti daily paper La Provincia: [3]

"The steeds were all donkeys seized by the Legion during its advance, and abandoned by the Abyssinians as they escaped ... for the occasion they were baptized with the names of various defeated Ras (Ethiopian dignitaries), whose gifts of speed were conferred upon them."

The participants were the Borgo di Santa Maria Nuova, the Rione (district) of San Martino, the Borgo di Ponte Tanaro, and the Rione Duomo (Cathedral District). The Borgo di Santa Maria Nuova won.

The Restoration

Palio di Asti Corsa Palio di Asti.jpg
Palio di Asti
As at Siena, the Palio d'Asti is preceded by sfilate, where colors are paraded Asti - Palio 5608.jpg
As at Siena, the Palio d'Asti is preceded by sfilate, where colors are paraded

In 1967, to mark the 1000th anniversary of the foundation of the Marquisate of Montferrat and the 800th anniversary of the Lombard League, the palio was resurrected. The race was moved to September, to coincide with the celebrations of the Douja d'Or and to follow the Festa delle sagre astigiane - Asti's Festival of Festivals. The 1861 route in the Piazza Campo del Palio was used; stands were built with 5,000 seats, and a large area was dedicated to standing spectators. The 1967 event was attended by 100,000 spectators; 14 villages, districts and comuni (municipalities) took part.

Since 1988 the Palio has been held in the Piazza Vittorio Alfieri in the heart of the city, in an even more impressive and engaging setting.

In 1992 the Palio di Asti was combined with the national lottery.

The Istituto Luce has in its files five brief movies of the Palio of Asti. The two that record the events of 1932 and 1934 are particularly important.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asti</span> Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Asti is a comune (municipality) of 74,348 inhabitants (1–1–2021) located in the Italian region of Piedmont, about 55 kilometres east of Turin, in the plain of the Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and it is deemed to be the modern capital of Montferrat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palio</span> Italian historical athletic contest

Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a comune against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate some event or tradition of the Middle Ages and thus often involve horse racing, archery, jousting, crossbow shooting, and similar medieval sports. Once purely a matter of local rivalries, many have now become events that are staged with an eye to visitors and foreign tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legnano</span> Place in Lombardy, Italy

Legnano is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Milan, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Legnano is located in the Alto Milanese and is crossed by the Olona River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuneo</span> Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palio di Siena</span> Horse race that is held twice each year in Siena, Italy

The Palio di Siena is a horse race held twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards, in a tradition dating back to the 17th-century. The Palio held on 2 July is named Palio di Provenzano, in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano, a Marian devotion particular to Siena which developed around an icon from the Terzo Camollia area of the city. The Palio held on 16 August is named Palio dell'Assunta, in honour of the Assumption of Mary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parione</span> Rione of Rome in Lazio, Italy

Parione is the 6th rione of Rome, Italy, identified by the initials R. VI, and belongs to the Municipio I. Its name comes from the fact that in the area there was a huge ancient wall, maybe belonging to the stadium of Domitianus; the nickname people gave to this wall was Parietone, from which the name Parione.

Borgo (<i>rione</i> of Rome) Rione of Rome in Lazio, Italy

Borgo is the 14th rione of Rome, Italy. It is identified by the initials R. XIV and is included within Municipio I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carroccio</span> Large chariot used in medieval battles

A carroccio was a large four-wheeled wagon bearing the city signs around which the militia of the medieval communes gathered and fought. It was particularly common among the Lombard, Tuscan and, more generally, northern Italian municipalities. Later its use spread even outside Italy. It was the symbol of municipal autonomy. Priests celebrated Mass at the altar before the battle, and the trumpeters beside them encouraged the fighters to the fray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Novara</span> Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin and from Genoa to Switzerland. Novara lies between the streams Agogna and Terdoppio in northeastern Piedmont, 50 km (31 mi) from Milan and 95 km (59 mi) from Turin. It is only 15 km (9.3 mi) distant from the river Ticino, which marks the border with Lombardy region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nizza Monferrato</span> Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Nizza Monferrato is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) southeast of Turin and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Asti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turin</span> City in Piedmont, Italy

Turin is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is mainly on the western bank of the Po River, below its Susa Valley, and is surrounded by the western Alpine arch and Superga hill. The population of the city proper is 847,622, while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 1.7 million inhabitants. The Turin metropolitan area is estimated by the OECD to have a population of 2.2 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siena</span> Comune in Tuscany, Italy

Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. Siena is the 12th largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 53,062 as of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corteo Storico</span> Historical costume parade in Tuscany, Italy

The Corteo Storico is a historical costume parade in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. It takes place before the famous horse race known as the Palio on the 2nd of July and on August 16, each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditions of Italy</span> Overview of the traditions in Italy

Traditions of Italy are sets of traditions, beliefs, values, and customs that belongs within the culture of Italian people. These traditions have influenced life in Italy for centuries, and are still practiced in modern times. Italian traditions are directly connected to Italy's ancestors, which says even more about Italian history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piazza delle Erbe, Padua</span> Square in the historic center of Padua

Piazza delle Erbe is one of the many squares in the historic center of Padua. For centuries, with Piazza della Frutta, it was the commercial center of the city. In the two squares is one of the largest markets in Italy. Unlike Piazza dei Signori, the civic theater of celebrations, Piazza delle Erbe was the site of the folk festivities. The square is dominated by the imposing Palazzo della Ragione.

The Palio of Districts of Trento is a celebration in remembrance of the Battle of Calliano (1487) and takes place every year in September in the city of Trento, the capital of Trentino in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, a region of Northern Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borgo Vecchio (Rome)</span> Former road in Rome

Borgo Vecchio, also named in the Middle Ages Via Sancta, Carriera Sancta or Carriera Martyrum, was a road in the city of Rome, Italy, important for historical and architectural reasons. The road was destroyed together with the adjacent quartier in 1936–37 due to the construction of Via della Conciliazione.

The Palio Marinaro di San Pietro is a sporting event of historical re-enactment, established in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contrada of the Tortoise</span> District of Siena

The Contrada of the Tortoise is one of the seventeen historic subdivisions of the Tuscan city of Siena. It takes part in the Palio di Siena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Towers and palaces of the Roero</span> Medieval buildings in Asti, Italy

The towers and palaces of the Roero in Asti are medieval buildings located in the San Martino-San Rocco district, in the area between Piazza San Giuseppe, Via Roero, Via Quintino Sella and Piazza San Martino. The Roero or "Rotari", one of the major families of the nobility belonging to the houses of Asti, began to occupy the area at the beginning of the 13th century and, as a result of the increase in their profits obtained from trade and pawn money lending, they exponentially increased the colonization of the area. By the end of the 13th century, the Municipality of Asti, through the financing of the mercantile families was able to weave a fruitful network of alliances and trade agreements. The league that the municipality formed with Pavia, Genoa and the Marquisate of Saluzzo led to the defeat of the Angevin army and enabled it to dominate over most of south-central Piedmont. The increase in Asti's political clout over Piedmont consequently led to a demographic and urban increase in the city of Asti throughout the 14th century. The seventeenth-century Laurus map shows how many strongholds and towers there still were in the city's built-up area and only leaves one to speculate what the actual urban layout was during the period of maximum fourteenth-century expansion.

References

  1. Gentile L., Le antiche feste Patronali di San Secondo in Asti, Rievocazioni storiche. Asti 1928, page 5
  2. Ventura G., Memoriale (Capitolo X)
  3. La Provincia, Asti newspaper, May 23, 1936 edition

Further reading