 |
Rock| |
 |
Local Traditions & Customs
Historical celebrations
» Events
Palii
(traditional horse races), jousts, racing and regattas, with
their splendid costumes and flags, masks and rites, are an
integral component of popular culture, particularly in Italy.
There are historical origins behind them which go back to the Middle Ages, the Crusades, the Renaissance and the development of the city states. It is no surprise therefore that all these regattas, tournaments and other such contests are colourful substitutions for the more serious fights of the past.
For, as we are told in the Roman de la Rose: "Se eccelli
con le armi, sarai amato dieci volte" (if you are a good
fighter, you will be loved tenfold ).
Here you will discover that "free time" can mean
more than passively watching television. When you take part
in these celebrations and their precise and rigorous rituals,
the hours fly by in a whirl and time stops.
Maybe you would prefer to hide yourself behind a mask – an important component of many celebrations, and not only in the Venitian carnival. Try assuming another identity for a little while, and see how the world reacts to your alter ego.
Il cavaliere (the knight) is the main protagonist of such celebrations. Since ancient times this title has designated not only a soldier on a horse, but also a member of a social class or order such as the Templers, Johanniters, the German and Maltese orders etc., which all go back to the time of the crusades. These "knights" are today the main actors of the jousting tournaments, a custom still very preserved, particularly in Italy. The name derives from the Provencal "Jouste" tournament. The ‘Joust’ can be ‘head-to-head’, a direct duel, or ‘on the ring’ in which the knights must thread a ring with the lance or impale a dummy (“Quintana” or “Saracen”).
» Events
All topics:
