On the Fall Equinox in the year 1462, Pope Pius II dedicated the town of Pienza.
Now, 5 centuries later, the town of Pienza recreates the event, with a weekend dedicated to Renaissance pageantry and competitions.
Ten years ago, when we first went to this event, we posted a photo of “Two Maidens”…pretty young Pientini in costume. This year, their daughters continued the tradition.
The local nobility was well represented.
The college of Cardinals sent a delegation.
Some of the people who dressed the part look as if they belong in the Rennaissance.
The event drew a crowd 10 deep circling the entire piazza.
Every available window on Piazza Pio was filled with onlookers.
They weren’t there for the food…or to gawk at the costumes.
The crowd was there for the Sbandieratori, the flag throwers.
It was billed as a friendly competition. Sbandieratori from four different towns each got a chance to show off their acts. (For a description of the evolution of the sbandieratori, see our 2017 blog post https://rbergson.org/sbandieratori-flag-wavers/)
The first entrant was from Umbria, the town of Giove. (In the case of all the videos that follow, it’s best watched in full screen mode)
The second team was from the town of Torrita di Siena…about 25 kilometers up the road:
The third team came from San Quirico, just on the other side of the Val d’ Orcia. The town is notable for its success in flag throwing competitions. This video should demonstrate why:
Finally, the home team got the final at bat:
If you think this is just some simple flag waving, the following video clip…in slow motion…shows what virtuosos these athletes are:
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