Flag wavers and people in medieval clothes going to the Parma Cathedral
Medieval Chor during the Palio blessing ceremony

The Palio di Parma is a festival that is held once a year in the northern Italian town of Parma, and traces back to the ancient "Scarlet Run".[1] The Palio is normally hold on the third weekend of September.

History

The origin of this festival can be reconducted to 1314[2] as reported by Giovanni Del Giudice in the "Chronicon Parmense",[3] talking about a festival hold to honour the engagement between Giberto III Da Correggio, ruler of Parma from 1303 to 1316, and Engelenda Rossi, also called Maddalena Rossi di San Secondo daughter of Guglielmo Rossi and Donella da Carrara rulers of Padova.[4] This brought to an end of the several fight among their noble families wanting to dominate Parma. On that day, all the enemy families of Giberto Da Correggio were allowed to return in Parma, and even some prisoners gained back freedom. The games consisted in several competition with medieval weapons and horses. The festival was held every year on 15 August,[5] from the fourteenth century to Napoleon's arrival in the nineteenth century.

Nowadays

Starting from 1978[2] the competition was brought to a new life. The town is divided in 5 different areas called "Porte", referring to the ancient doors which allowed to enter in the town from the walls of the town. Each of them forms a different team. There are 3 running competitions, one for men, one for women and one for children riding donkeys. In each of them the door try to win a painting showing one of the monuments of the town and Holy Mary, protector of Parma.[6]

Porte

Porta di Santa Croce
ImpresaColoursTerritoryChurch
Eagle Green Via d'Azeglio, Piazzale Inzani, Via Imbriani (lato nord), Via Gramsci, Viale Piacenza, Via Fleming, Via Buffolara, Via Savani, indicativamente tutta la zona nord Ovest della città. Chiesa di Santa Croce (Parma) (piazzale Santa Croce)
Porta San Francesco
ImpresaColoursTerritoryChurch
Wolf Black and White Strada Bixio, lato sud di via D'Azeglio dal Ponte all'Annunziata, Via della Costituente, Via Imbriani (lato sud), Via della Salute, Viale Spezia, Viale Milazzo, Via Silvio Pellico, Viale Milazzo, indicativamente tutta la zona sud Ovest della città. Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata (Parma) (Strada d'Azeglio)
Porta Nuova
ImpresaColoursTerritoryChurch
Unicorn Blue Strada Farini, Borgo Giacomo, Via XXII Luglio, Borgo Felino, Viale Basetti, Viale Martiri della Libertà, Viale Solferino, Viale Rustici, indicativamente la zona sud della città. Chiesa di Sant'Uldarico (Strada Farini)
Porta San Michele
ImpresaColoursTerritoryChurch
Dragon Yellow Strada della Repubblica, Via Dalmazia, Viale Tanara, Strada Elevata, Viale Partigiani d'Italia, Viale Pier Maria Rossi, Via Zarotto, Via Emilia Est, indicativamente tutta la zona est della città. Chiesa di San Sepolcro (Parma) (via della Repubblica)
Porta San Barnaba
ImpresaColoursTerritoryChurch
Lion Red Strada Garibaldi, Strada Cavour, Borgo Parmigianino, Via Verdi, Viale Toscanini, Viale Fratti, Via Trento, Strada San Leonardo, Via Palermo, Via Europa, indicativamente tutta la zona nord est della città. Chiesa di San Francesco del Prato (piazzale San Francesco)
The symbhols of the 5 doors in Parma
Map showing the division of the historical center in five doors
Map showing the whole city of Parma divided among the five doors


Winning Door

Prisoner
Blessing ceremony
Inhabitants of Parma in medieval clothes
Medieval warrior
Flag wavers reaching the area of the competitions
Palio di Parma - Flag wavers in front of the ducal palace, territory of the door said "Santa Croce"

Notes

  1. ↑ Palio dello Scarlatto su rievocare
  2. 1 2 Lo storico Palio dello Scarlatto Archived 2012-04-19 at the Wayback Machine su usmontebello
  3. ↑ paliodiparma.it
  4. ↑ Nosari, Galeazzo; Canova, Franco (2003). Il Palio nel Rinascimento i cavalli di razza dei Gonzaga nell'età di Francesco II Gonzaga 1484-1519. E. Lui.
  5. ↑ portasanfrancesco.org Archived 2010-08-23 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Palio di Parma su regioni italiane
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