Joust of Europe and the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy

The Joust of Europe in Sulmona

The Joust of Europe and the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy is a historical re-enactment and international equestrian tournament held in Sulmona, in the province of L'Aquila, in the heart of Abruzzo. Established in 2000 as an international offshoot of the city's famous Chivalric Joust, the event transforms the monumental Piazza Garibaldi into a competition field where knights and horses challenge each other in the classic ring joust, under the gaze of thousands of spectators.

A tournament with a European dimension

The Joust of Europe was established to give an international scope to the local tournament by inviting delegations from various cities across the continent. In 2006, on the initiative of the Cultural Association of the Chivalric Joust of Sulmona and ANCI Abruzzo, the Joust of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy was added, reserved for Abruzzo municipalities awarded that prestigious recognition. Each delegation participates with historical costume groups and their own dance schools, arms experts, arquebusiers, musicians, falconers, and flag-wavers, creating a cultural tapestry that unites Greece, Malta, France, England, San Marino, and numerous Italian villages.

The historical pageant and the ring joust

The most evocative moment is the historical pageant, which travels along Corso Ovidio with hundreds of participants in Renaissance costumes, inspired by the Sulmona of Joanna of Aragon. After the parade, the scene shifts to the competition field in Piazza Garibaldi, where knights face the ring joust to win the Palio, an original painting on linen canvas created by the previous year's winning city. Flag-wavers, musicians, and foreign delegations complete a spectacle that blends sports competition, art, and historical memory.

Tradition, villages, and friendship between peoples

Beyond the competition, the Joust of Europe is an opportunity for regional promotion and cultural exchange: long-standing twinning arrangements, such as the twenty-year bond with the Greek island of Zakynthos, testify to the spirit of collaboration and peace that drives the event. For the city of Sulmona, home of the poet Ovid and famous for its sugared almonds (confetti), the Joust represents one of the defining events of the Abruzzo summer, capable of attracting visitors from across the region and beyond.

When it takes place

The Joust of Europe and the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy is held in July, during the week preceding the main Chivalric Joust of Sulmona. The event enlivens the city's historic center for an entire weekend, between Piazza Garibaldi, Corso Ovidio, and the Cathedral of San Panfilo.