The Giostra del Saracino is the main folklore event of the city of Arezzo and it takes place in two periods of the year. Piazza Grande becomes the backdrop of the challenge on the next to last Saturday of the month of June (in the evening) and on the first Sunday of the month of September (during the daytime).
The first edition is dedicated to San Donato, patron of the city, which lends it the name Giostra di San Donato; the second is instead known as the Giostra della Madonna del Conforto (Madonna of Comfort), as it is dedicated to Arezzo’s protectress.
The Giostra del Saracino has origins stretching back centuries: the first of these festivals were organized in Medieval times, and they went on to become a characteristic element of the Arezzo territory.
Even Dante Alighieri in Canto XXII of Inferno described the atmosphere: Corridor vidi per la terra vostra, o Aretini, e vidi gir gualdane, fedir torneamenti e correr giostra (Vaunt-couriers have I seen upon your land / O Aretines and foragers go forth / Tournaments stricken, and the joustings run…)
With the exception of a brief interruption during the Second World War, the Giostra del Saracino has taken place regularly each year. Competing for the Lancia d’Oro—a trophy made of walnut, basswood or maple—are the four historic districts of the city: the Quartiere di Porta Crucifera, Quartiere di Porta del Foro, Quartiere di Porta Sant’Andrea and Quartiere di Porta Santo Spirito.
Each neighborhood has two jousters (or “knights”) and has the right to two carriere, which are determined during an “extraction” ceremony on the Sunday preceding the joust at Palazzo Civico.
In each carriera, the jouster grasps a wooden spear. Once the signal is given by the Maestro di Campo, the contender will launch it along the lizza (the strip of beaten earth slantedly crossing Piazza Grande) and then launch it against the Buratto, a metallic puppet, spring-loaded and equipped with a shield in his left hand and armed on the right with a chain mace (the medieval instrument composed of a whip with three chains, the extremities of which hold weighted wooden and leather balls).
Preceding the competition is a historic procession, with a performance by flag throwers accompanied by the sound of the clarions in the festival’s official music group, the Gruppo Musici della Giostra del Saracino.
A brief history of the Giostra
Origins and development in the Middle Ages
The Giostra del Saracino was born in a context deeply marked by medieval chivalric culture. Originally conceived as a military exercise, it aimed to sharpen the martial skills of knights, especially in the use of the lance. The “enemy” in this simulation was a mechanical figure, the Buratto, which spun on its axis and punished the knight’s mistake with a blow from its armed arm. Arezzo, a city with ancient military traditions and a key player in the 13th-century conflicts between Guelphs and Ghibellines, was a natural setting for such training. Its involvement in the Battle of Campaldino in 1289, which saw the participation of prominent local families and historical figures such as Dante Alighieri, confirms its strategic and military role in Tuscany at the time.
Over the centuries, as chivalry declined and military needs changed, the Giostra gradually lost its original function, becoming first a public celebration and later a fading memory, until it nearly disappeared in the 19th century.
The revival of the twentieth century
In the 20th century, during a broader rediscovery of local heritage and the medieval roots of Italian cities, the Giostra became the focus of an ambitious revival project. The initiative took shape in Arezzo in 1931, with the goal of bringing an ancient tradition back to life while strengthening civic identity through an event that involved the entire population. The reenactment extended beyond the jousting match.
Historical costumes were created, a public ceremony was structured, and the architectural spaces of the historic centre were enhanced. The Giostra was designed as a complete event, one that could celebrate the past while engaging the present through the active participation of local citizens.
At the heart of the new model were the city’s four quartieri (quarters), not only called to compete but also to rebuild a social and emotional fabric around the event.
The quartieri (quarters) as the fabric of civic life
With the rebirth of the Giostra, the quartieri of Porta Crucifera, Porta del Foro, Porta Sant’Andrea and Porta Santo Spirito became once again active parts of urban life. Each rione was given a headquarters, a heraldic identity, a group of costumed figures, and a team of jousters. Their role soon extended beyond the organization of the tournament: over time, they evolved into genuine local communities capable of promoting events, training programs, and cultural initiatives throughout the year.
The first promotional poster of the Giostra del Saracino was created by the Dopolavoro Ferroviario of Arezzo. The revival of the event in 1931 was made possible through the collaboration between the Municipality of Arezzo, the Aretine Brigade Amici dei Monumenti, the Dopolavoro Ferroviario, and key figures such as Podestà Pier Ludovico Occhini and journalist Cesare Verani, promoters and coordinators of the project.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
WHEN
June 20, 2026 – Night edition
September 6, 2026 – Day edition
WHERE
Arezzo
Piazza Grande
