Giostra della Quintana
Every September, Foligno's main piazza transforms into a 17th-century tournament ground where ten armoured knights on horseback charge at full gallop toward a small ring — and the roar of 30,000 spectators shakes the old stones. This is not a re-enactment for tourists; it is a fiercely competitive civic ritual that has run almost unbroken since 1613.
The Race Itself
Ten rioni (city quarters) each field a knight who must lance a tiny ring hanging from the outstretched arm of a wooden mannequin called the Quintana — all while galloping at speed. Missing the ring, or dropping the lance, can cost your quarter the Palio, and tears flow as freely as Sagrantino wine when the result is announced.
The event actually runs twice: a practice Disfida in June and the main Giostra in September, both preceded by a 700-person historical procession in full period costume that winds through the centro storico at dusk.
How to Experience It
Tickets for the grandstand sell out months in advance; book directly through the official Ente Giostra della Quintana website as soon as the calendar drops each January. If you miss seats, the procession route along Via Gramsci and Piazza della Repubblica is free to line.
Stay in Foligno rather than commuting from Perugia — the post-race celebrations in the winning rione's neighbourhood last until 3 a.m., with tables dragged into the street and barrels of local wine tapped on the cobblestones.
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