Like every Umbrian city, rich in medieval history with their centres nestled in the defence walls, Assisi also celebrates the past with the ‘Palio di San Rufino’.
The celebration dedicated to the martyr saint of the city, Rufino di Assisi, is held every year at the end of August and is one of Assisi’s oldest events. In fact, the Palio di San Rufino has been celebrated since 1300 and is one of the most colourful and lively events of the entire region of Umbria.
This Palio consists of a crossbow shooting competition, individual and in teams, that symbolically divides the city into three districts. Let’s discover this ancient tradition of Assisi together.
San Rufino di Assisi
This Palio is dedicated to San Rufino, the first bishop of the church of Assisi. San Rufino was the bishop of Amysia, a city in Turkey. After being persecuted, he moved to Italy and ultimately to Assisi, where he never stopped preaching the Gospel. He died a martyr, thrown into the Chiascio river with a millstone around his neck. Assisi, on this occasion, takes a step away from the myth that makes it for all intents and purposes the city of Italy’s saints Francis and Clare and an important place of pilgrimage, and turns into a place of celebration of medieval origins in honour of a lesser-known patron saint.
When the Palio is held
San Rufino should actually be celebrated on August 11th. That date however falls on the celebrations in honour of Saint Clare. Thus, San Rufino, Assisi’s first bishop, is celebrated on 12th August with a ‘Palio’, competition, dedicated to him on the last Sunday of August.
This is a unique occasion that combines spirituality, relaxation, and fun in Assisi: a fascinating city immersed in the green of ‘Umbria and in the history of Italy and the Christian world.
Palio di San Rufino: the competition
The last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of August of every year, Assisi celebrates the Palio di San Rufino. La Compagnia Balestrieri di Assisi (the Crossbow Association of Assisi) are the organisers of this splendid celebration. At the Palio the crossbowmen are divided by ‘Terzieri’ (districts) (San Francesco, San Rufino, Santa Maria) and they compete to win the competition.
The winning ‘Terziere’ team is awarded the iconic Drappo, a banner painted by a national artist. The crossbowman winning the individual competition with a dogwood or yew wood crossbow wins the silver crossbow, a pair of traditional tights and the title as city champion for one year.
The competition is held in a context that re-enacts the traditions and customs of the Middle Ages: exhibitions, conventions, medieval banquets and shows of all sorts lit only with torches and flambeaus: this is the setting for the competition. Today, as in the past, the Compagni Balestrieri di Assisi is committed to letting the public relive those moments through the skill of local craftsmen. For complete information about this magnificent Palio go to the website dedicated to the event.
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