Italian Ruzzola Throwing Championship

The traditional sport that runs through the streets of the Sibillini

In the Municipality of Valfornace, immersed in the Monti Sibillini in the province of Macerata (Marche), the Italian Ruzzola Throwing Championship is held, one of the flagship events in the national calendar of traditional sports. The national title brings the best throwers in Italy here, largely from the Marche and Umbria regions, for two days of intense competition along the country paths connecting the villages of the Macerata hinterland.

What is ruzzola?

The ruzzola is a wooden disc about 13 centimeters in diameter and 4.5 centimeters thick, weighing at least 450 grams. It is thrown by wrapping it with a hemp string about two meters long, attached to the index finger with a slipknot: with an energetic swing, the disc is rolled as far as possible along dirt or asphalt roads. The winner is the one who covers the greatest distance with the fewest throws. It is an ancient sport: as early as 1571, in Sant'Elpidio a Mare, some decrees prohibited its practice on main roads, a sign of how widespread it was in the Marche five centuries ago.

The Valfornace-Pieve Torina-Monte Cavallo competition triangle

The peculiarity of the Valfornace stage is that the competition does not take place in a single location, but unfolds over three different courses spanning the Municipalities of Valfornace, Pieve Torina, and Monte Cavallo: the Villarella field, the Valfornace ruzzodrome, and the Capriglia course, between Pieve Torina and Valfornace. The throwers walk the country roads following their ruzzola, in an atmosphere reminiscent of a collective outing, making this sport a true moment of village social life.

A tradition of Macerata

The ruzzola is deeply tied to the identity of the territory: the province of Macerata has dominated the national championships for years, with athletes and clubs winning titles in all categories. The organization is handled by ASD PFF Pievebovigliana of Valfornace together with FIGeST (Italian Federation of Traditional Games and Sports), the federation that protects and regulates traditional Italian sports and games. Attending a championship day means discovering a piece of living popular culture, made up of gestures passed down through generations and a community that gathers along the roads of the Sibillini.