The Saracen Joust of Arrezo

The Saracen Joust of Arrezo is held on the next to last Saturday of June and the first Sunday in September every year.

The event in June, the San Donato Joust dedicated to the patron saint of the town, is held at night.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the jousts were a form and display of military training and readiness.

The joust – which became a typical tradition of Arezzo at the beginning of the 17th century – declined progressively during the 18th century and eventually disappeared, at least in its "noble" version. After a brief popular revival between the 18th and 19th century, the joust was interrupted after 1810 to reappear only in 1904 in the wake of the Middle Ages reappraisal operated by Romanticism. Finally, the joust was definitely restored in 1931 as a form of historical re-enactment set in the 14th century, and quickly acquired a competitive character. ~Wikipedia

The Parade

This is a colorful display of rivalry. Participants represent four quadrants of the town dress in respective colors of green/red, yellow/crimson, white/green, yellow/blue. Each team parades through the town with much regalia and fanfare culminating in the Knight's Tournament in the Piazza Grande.

I rambled through the city, tasting the local food, including a smoked boar's head.

Other vendors selling arts, crafts, and tourist merchandise gathered in the park.

The beautiful walled city contained churches and quaint restaurants. Crowds of people swirled in the streets. We got prime seats for the joust after waiting in an interminable line. Like "Medieval Times' we got to cheer for our home team- Porta del Foro, known as Porta S.Lorentino (yellow and crimson colors).

The plaza is packed with waiting crowds, each one declaring loyalty to one of the teams through a display of colors, pennants, and flags. It's a bit of a crush trying to make my way through, but it is essential to either get to the front row, or to a high vantage point.

The Tournament

The teams in the event are split into the four quarters of the town.

• Porta Crucifera, known as Culcitrone (green and red),
• Porta del Foro, known as Porta San Lorentino (yellow and crimson),
• Porta Sant'Andrea (white and green) and
• Porta del Borgo, today called Porta Santo Spirito (yellow and blue).

Riders take turns charging the "Buratto," the King of the Indies, the Saracen, an armor-plated dummy representing a Saracen. Aiming to hit the shield he carries. Points are awarded by landing the lance in the marked squares. Getting hit during the run by the Buratto's whip will leave a black mark and possibly a bruise on the rider. In the end, the points are tallied with penalties deducted for being hit.

The action is fast, furious, and rowdy. The crowds cheer at each pass and knockdown.

As much as I enjoyed the festival atmosphere, I would return to Arrezo at another time to take a more leisurely stroll through its alleyways.

Arezzo is located in Tuscany and is nicknamed the City of Gold. It was home to many Italian artists including Giorgio Vasari, Guido of Arezzo and poet Guittone d'Arezzo.

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