For one week Cortona changes its look and returns to the Middle Ages. The Archidado Joust recalls the celebrations for the 14th-century wedding between Francesco Casali and Antonia Salimbeni, bringing costumes, flags, drums, crossbowmen and ancient crafts back into the historic centre.
The central moment is the challenge between the city's five quintieri. In Piazza Signorelli the crossbowmen try to hit the target with the verrette, while the audience follows every shot and the square becomes the heart of the competition.
A city transformed by the re-enactment
An entire city moves around the competition. Historical parades wind through Cortona, flag-wavers animate the squares and drums accompany the most solemn passages. Taverns and markets dedicated to ancient crafts complete an atmosphere built not only to be watched, but to be lived.
The re-enactment fits into the landscape of a town of Etruscan origin, bringing different eras into dialogue and offering an opportunity to discover Cortona as it celebrates one of its most cherished traditions.
The closing programme
- Friday 12 June: flag games.
- Saturday 13 June: the Wedding and the Verrette Trade.
- Sunday 14 June: the Joust and the medieval dinner.
The main events take place in Cortona, with Piazza Signorelli as the center of the challenge and the celebrations.