WTI Magazine #32    2014 May, 29
Author : folclore.it      Translation by:

The Palio (contest) of Ferrara, in addition to being the oldest in the world, is peculiar for the type of race, which is a festival unlike many other contests with a competition formula that comes from actual wars between the contestants.

It is a very important moment for the city that wears the colors of the districts, which go all over the streets to earn the prize, but also - and above all - to celebrate and remember the Renaissance, a time when Ferrara was really a capital.

The contest of Ferrara was institutionalized by the Municipality of Ferrara in 1279, codifying - between the laws - a popular tradition of games and parties that began in 1259.

Today the races are held on the last Sunday of May in honor of St. George, but the date commemorates the famous 1471 edition of the race in honor of Borso, who became Duke of Ferrara. The event sees four contests, as the bylaws say: the green one dedicated to St. Paul for "la corsa delle putte" (the race of the girls); the red one dedicated to San Romano for "la corsa dei putti" (the race of the boys); the white one dedicated to St. Maurelio for the race of the female donkeys and, finally, the yellow (or gold) one dedicated to St. George for the horse race.

The horse race is participated by the four districts with their territory within the walls: St. Benedict (white-blue), Santa Maria in Vado (yellow-purple), St. Paul (black-white) and Holy Spirit (yellow-green); and the four villages of St. Jack (yellow-blue), St. George (yellow-red), St. John (red-blue) and St. Luke (red-green).

The contest also sees racing flag bearers and musicians, with the representatives of the eight districts competing in seven specialties: traditional single, traditional double, small team, big team, musicians and "combined" (the sum of the best scores).