Investiture of the Knights of the Quintana of Foligno

The solemn opening of the Quintana

The Investiture of the Knights is the ceremony that officially opens the season of the Giostra della Quintana in Foligno, in the province of Perugia. It is one of the most intimate and solemn moments of the city's Baroque tradition.

The ritual in the ten districts

In each of the ten districts — Ammanniti, Badia, Cassero, Contrastanga, Croce Bianca, Giotti, La Mora, Morlupo, Pugilli, and Spada — the knight receives the formal mandate from their community to defend the district's colours at the Campo de li Giochi. The ceremony takes place in historic or sacred locations, around the chosen champion, in a climate of pride and identity.

The Night of the Flags

The Investiture is followed by the Night of the Flags: from the windows of the town hall, in Piazza della Repubblica, the ten district banners are unfurled, and they will wave over the historic centre for the entire duration of the event. It is the signal that the city has entered the heart of the Quintana.

The Investiture is a collateral event to the joust, but for the people of Foligno, it represents the true beginning of the Quintana year, when the rivalry between districts is adorned with ceremony and symbols.