By Paola Butera
Photo By Sofia Raggi
Everything is ready for the 48th edition of the Giochi de le Porte. The most anticipated event of the year in Gualdo Tadino is just around the corner: next weekend, from September 25th to 27th, the Umbrian city will immerse itself completely in history and tradition for the forty-eighth edition of the Giochi de le Porte, the grand festival centered around the Palio dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel.
Originally born in 1970 based on in-depth historical studies, and firmly established since 1978 after a brief interruption, with the exception of postponements due to the ’97 earthquake and the pandemic, the event today represents the beating heart of the Gualdo community. The event involves four historic districts, called “Porte” (Gates): Porta San Facondino, Porta San Donato, Porta San Martino, and Porta San Benedetto.
The three-day program is packed with parades, challenges, and reenactments. The festival unfolds over an intense weekend full of events.
It begins on Friday with the opening and the tavern keepers’ parade. The event opens with a captivating procession featuring approximately 1,200 participants, the so-called tavern keepers, arriving from each gate. The procession converges in Piazza Martiri della Libertà for a grand initial celebration of conviviality, where the districts offer food and exchange gifts. The evening continues with spectacular performances by the drummers from each gate.
Saturday is the day of the crossbowmen’s challenge and the historical parade. The afternoon is enlivened by the competition among the crossbowmen, whose winner earns the honor of parading with the Palio. In the evening, the city truly takes a leap into the Middle Ages thanks to the grand historical parade, with over a thousand participants in period costumes. The themes presented by each gate are evaluated months in advance by a strict artistic commission composed of set designers, costume designers, and medieval history professors, to ensure maximum philological accuracy. The parade traverses the ancient city walls to the central square, followed by an initial challenge show between the gates.
On Sunday, the races are held and the Palio is awarded; this is the core of the event. The day begins in the morning with the weighing of the carts and continues in the afternoon with the parade of priors, nobles, and jugglers. After the blessing in the square, the official competitions begin in earnest. The cart race is a thrilling timed trial along the city walls, in which the cart is pulled by a donkey (an identity symbol of the city) and guided by two jockeys. Then there are the sling and archery competitions, two precision disciplines in which Gualdo Tadino boasts a great tradition (even holding the Italian title for the sling).
Last but not least is the bareback race, the most exciting, as it determines the winning gate. Here, the jockeys ride the donkeys bareback, covering the course in the opposite direction to the cart race. Similar in tension and dynamics to the famous Palio of Siena, this race definitively awards the final victory of the Palio.
At the conclusion of the races, the event culminates in one of the most evocative and folkloric moments: the burning of the “bastola.” Legend has it that this hostile figure was responsible for two historical fires in the city; to exorcise the past, a puppet in the shape of a witch is created, brought to the square, and set ablaze. The puppet is then symbolically handed over to the winning gate by the one that triumphed in the previous edition, marking the end of the games with collective songs and dances around the fire.
For those who choose to visit Gualdo Tadino during the event, the atmosphere is that of an unparalleled journey through time. Starting from Friday evening, the district taverns open their doors offering typical medieval traditional dishes – an occasion for authentic social interaction with the local population.
Info: Municipality of Gualdo Tadino / Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 4 / Tel 075 915021 / turismo@tadino.it / www.tadino.it
