Palio di Legnano

The Palio di Legnano (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːljo di leɲˈɲano]; known locally simply as Il Palio) is a folk event generally held the last Sunday of May in the City Of Legnano, Italy, to recall the Battle of Legnano held on May 29, 1176 by the Lombard League and the Holy Roman Empire of Frederick Barbarossa.[1] This Palio is composed by a historical pageant and a horse race, until 2005 the whole event was named Sagra del Carroccio.[2]

Legnano is subdivided in 8 contrade, each of one takes part both in the pageant and in the horse race held at the stadio Giovanni Mari. It's deemed as one of the most important non-competitive event of this type in Italy. In 2003 the historic pageant has been shown at the Columbus Day in New York City.[3]

A lot of Palio-centric events take place in Legnano during May and July, as the choral exhibition La Fabbrica del Canto '(The factory of singing)' born in 1992 from an idea of the musical association Jubilate.[4] In 2015, institutions made 29 May a holiday for the entire Lombardy.[5]

The history

Oldest events

Festivity in San Magno Square in Legnano in 1876, after 7 centuries from the battle (05/29/1876).

The first Palio was officially organized in 1932. This event, called Festa del Carroccio, included a gastronomical exposition, a pageant and a horse race run at the local sports field Brusadelli, a race that was not concluded due to injuries to a jokey.[2]

The current event

Pageant of Palio 2015
Pageant of Palio 2015
Horse race of Palio 2014

The Palio di Legnano, in its current version, was first disputed on May 26, 1935.[6] The following year the name was changed in Sagra del Carroccio due to a direct decision of Benito Mussolini, whom obbliged institutions to change the name in order to leave the word Palio as an exclusive for Siena.[2]

Sagra del Carroccio was suspended from 1939 to 1952 due to WWII, after which it has been reprised thanks to local institutions.[6] In 2006 the event name was changed again in its first version, Palio di Legnano.[2]

The 1961 edition is the only in which took part a woman as jockey, or 'fantino'. From 1971 saddle use has been banished.[7] In 1984 the race was delayed for a week due to bad weather.[8]

The 2009 race has been the first run on a sandy track.[8]

Victory has not been assigned three times:[8] in 1955 because of a contested start, in 1977 Contrada Sant'Erasmo won the race but braws between people of contrade San Bernardino, La Flora and San Magno ended in an unassigned victory. As protest, Sant'Erasmo took not part at the 1978 edition. In 2006 some people from contrada San Domenico invaded the track and as consequence the horse race was suspended. In this occasion, Collegio dei Magistrati del Palio, an institution behind Palio di Legnano, decided to punish San Domenico, imposing a 10.000 € fine and excluding it from the 2007 edition.[8]

Three extra edition of Palio were held:[8] the first one in 1976 in Milan, to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Battle. In 1980 and 2005 two other Palio were run, for the 25th and 50th anniversary of Collegio dei Capitani respectively.

The eight Contrade

Visconteo Castle of Legnano, headquarter of Collegio dei Capitani e delle Contrade
Maniero of Contrada San Martino

The eight Contrade of Legnano are:

  • Contrada Flora
  • Contrada Legnarello
  • Contrada San Bernardino
  • Contrada San Domenico
  • Contrada San Magno
  • Contrada San Martino
  • Contrada Sant'Ambrogio
  • Contrada Sant'Erasmo

Each of one is managed by a "Captain", a "Great Prior" and a "Chatelaine".[2] The eight Captains are reunited in Collegio dei Capitani e delle Contrade, an institution which is in charge for coordination of the different activities around the event.[9] A Contrada's headquarter is called Maniero, a place where during the whole year people of eeach Contrada organize mostly curtural events and parties.[2]

Number of victories

  • 13 - Contrada Sant'Erasmo (1937, 1939, 1958, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2014)
  • 11 - Contrada San Magno (1963, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2011)
  • 11 - Contrada Legnarello (1936, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1965, 1966, 1983, 1989, 1991, 2015 and 2017)
  • 9 - Contrada San Bernardino (1956, 1959, 1961, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1995 and 2007)
  • 8 - Contrada La Flora (1938, 1960, 1997, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2018)
  • 6 - Contrada San Domenico (1935, 1972, 1981, 1984, 1996 and 2013)
  • 6 - Contrada Sant'Ambrogio (1962, 1968, 1986, 1988, 2004 and 2012)
  • 5 - Contrada San Martino (1957, 1967, 1992, 2003 and 2016)

Last winner

  • Contrada La Flora (2018)

Citations

  1. ↑ (in Italian) Il Palio di Legnano Archived 2016-03-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 (in Italian) Il Palio tra folklore e storia Archived 2014-03-30 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ (in Italian) Newsletter del Comune di Legnano
  4. ↑ (in Italian) Da "Varese News" - La "Fabbrica del Canto"
  5. ↑ (in Italian) Festa della Lombardia
  6. 1 2 D'Ilario, 1984, p. 335
  7. ↑ (in Italian) Il Palio delle contrade
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 (in Italian) L'albo d'oro del Palio di Legnano
  9. ↑ (in Italian) Collegio dei Capitani delle Contrade Archived 2015-04-18 at the Wayback Machine.

Bibliography

  • (in Italian) Giorgio D'Ilario, Egidio Gianazza, Augusto Marinoni, Marco Turri, Profilo storico della città di Legnano, Edizioni Landoni, 1984

Coordinates: 43°35′21″N 8°54′36″E / 43.5892°N 8.9099°E / 43.5892; 8.9099

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