There are many different festivals held throughout Tuscany and Italy as a whole. Each has their own charming flair, similar but different from all the others. All of the town comes out to enjoy a little competition between the different neighborhoods, usually competing for nothing more than bragging rights until the next event. Good food, drink and a fun time are had by all and while you may think outsiders are not welcome during these times, the warmth and hospitality that is so common among the Italian people is sure to make you feel right at home.
Unlike the Palio or the Bravio delle Botti, the Sagra Del Tordo is not a race among the neighborhoods. It is a medieval archery competition that is held every year during the last weekend of October. Its best to arrive before the event if you are planning on staying in Montalcino (not to mention booking early) as people who arrive during the festival will have to park sometimes more than a kilometer away from the town and face the uphill walk to it. The Sagra del Tordo attracts hundreds and thousands of visitors every year!
The event begins on Saturday with drums throughout the town as the excitement builds in the air. The spectators gather around the town hall that has served the town for hundreds of years and listen to the list of the archers from each of the four neighborhoods to see who will be competing this year.
The event begins on Saturday with drums throughout the town as the excitement builds in the air. The spectators gather around the town hall that has served the town for hundreds of years and listen to the list of the archers from each of the four neighborhoods to see who will be competing this year.
Later in the day trials are held amongst the archers to decide the order in which they will compete the following day. Each neighborhood has a large feast in honor of their champions, sometimes in excess of two hundred people at a dinner for each area.
These are traditional Montalcinesi dishes and are usually follow with chanting, cheering and singing into the night. The next morning another feast is prepared for the day inside the Fortress keep. Temporary kitchens are set up to cook all this food, and local wine is sold by the glass as well. The feast will last throughout the day, for all those attending the events. By the middle of the morning the pageant will begin, with white Chianini cattle and many dancers gather in the town's Piazza Cavour. Many of the townsfolk will dress in medieval costumes to join in the procession, with trumpeters and drummers marching along with them. After all have gathered in the Piazza Cavour they will head to the local church for a benediction. After the pageant a lunch is held by each neighborhood, again cheering their archers on to victory in the afternoon competition.
These are traditional Montalcinesi dishes and are usually follow with chanting, cheering and singing into the night. The next morning another feast is prepared for the day inside the Fortress keep. Temporary kitchens are set up to cook all this food, and local wine is sold by the glass as well. The feast will last throughout the day, for all those attending the events. By the middle of the morning the pageant will begin, with white Chianini cattle and many dancers gather in the town's Piazza Cavour. Many of the townsfolk will dress in medieval costumes to join in the procession, with trumpeters and drummers marching along with them. After all have gathered in the Piazza Cavour they will head to the local church for a benediction. After the pageant a lunch is held by each neighborhood, again cheering their archers on to victory in the afternoon competition.
In the afternoon another parade is held, bringing the competitors to the archery range outside the fortress. This will last up to an hour as they proceed through the town, all behind the Standard of Montalcino. Once they at the fortress, the archers are again greeted by the blast of trumpets and drums as the event begins. Each neighborhood has two archers that compete, and the winners will gain the honor for their neighborhood until the next years competition. They are borne home by their supporters with cheers, applause and much more celebration.
If the fun, pageantry, food and drink sound like a great time to you, please make sure to look through our accommodations in and around Montalcino and to book as early as possible!
If the fun, pageantry, food and drink sound like a great time to you, please make sure to look through our accommodations in and around Montalcino and to book as early as possible!
