Corsa all'Anello
Every May, Narni splits into three rival terzieri — Fraporta, Mezzocastello and Santa Maria — and the entire town dresses in hand-sewn 15th-century costume to compete in the Corsa all'Anello, a jousting tournament in which horsemen gallop full-tilt and attempt to thread a lance through a small iron ring. Unlike Siena's Palio, this event remains almost entirely Italian in its audience, which makes
The tournament itself
The final race takes place on the second Sunday of May in Piazza dei Priori, the town's main square, which is transformed with wooden grandstands draped in terziere colours. Each rider gets three passes at the ring, and the margin between triumph and humiliation is often millimetres. The crowd noise is extraordinary.
The preceding week is packed with medieval pageantry: flag-throwers (sbandieratori) perform in the streets each evening, a crossbow competition is held on the Saturday, and a candlelit procession winds through the old town on the Friday night. Even if you cannot attend the main race, arriving for the pageant week is worthwhile.
How to attend
Grandstand tickets sell out weeks in advance; buy them through the official Ente Corsa all'Anello website (corsaallanello.it). Standing room on the square perimeter is free but sight lines to the ring are limited. A seat in the covered tribuna centrale gives the best view of the lance-and-ring moment.
Book accommodation in Narni or nearby Amelia as far ahead as possible — every room within 20 km fills up for the main weekend. Arriving by train to Narni-Amelia station and walking up to the historic centre is far easier than navigating festival traffic by car.
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