Giostra Cavalleresca of Sulmona

The Giostra Cavalleresca of Sulmona

In the heart of the Peligna Valley, the Giostra Cavalleresca of Sulmona is one of the most deeply felt identity-defining events in all of Abruzzo. Every year, on the last weekend of July, the historic center of Sulmona, in the province of L'Aquila, transforms into a grand open-air stage where the splendor of the Renaissance comes to life, featuring equestrian tournaments, costumed processions, and challenges for the final ring.

How the joust works

The city is ideally divided into four Sestieri (Porta Bonomini, Porta Filiamabili, Porta Iapasseri, and Porta Manaresca) and three Borghi (San Panfilo, Pacentrano, and Santa Maria della Tomba), each represented by its own knight. Galloping along the track set up in Piazza Garibaldi, the knights must use their lances to spear a series of rings of decreasing diameter, suspended along the track by the 'mantenitori'. The winner is the one who hits the most rings in the shortest time: after the qualifying rounds, the best compete in the final for the Palio, the banner painted annually by a different artist, which has become the city's most coveted trophy.

The historical pageant

The competition is preceded by a majestic historical pageant that parades along Corso Ovidio with hundreds of participants: ladies, knights, men-at-arms, flag-wavers, and musicians in faithfully reconstructed Renaissance attire. The goldsmiths of Sulmona, a city famous for its jewelry and sugared almonds (confetti), create precious replicas of the jewels worn by the participants. The symbolic figure of the event is Queen Joanna of Aragon, who leads the procession as the sovereign.

Historical origins

The roots of the Giostra date back to the Middle Ages, when Sulmona, elected capital of Abruzzo by Frederick II, was among the main cities of the Kingdom. The first documented joust dates back to the second half of the 16th century; the ancient competition died out around 1643. The modern re-enactment was reborn in 1995 and has been celebrated every summer since, earning the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism over the years and establishing itself as one of the most important historical re-enactments in Central Italy.

Giostra of Europe and the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy

On the eve of the city's joust, the Giostra of Europe and the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy takes place, opening the challenge to knights from other Italian and foreign cities with ancient equestrian traditions, in an atmosphere of cultural exchange and widespread spectacle throughout the historic center.