Palio dei Rioni - Gamberemo

The palio that ignites the summer in Giovinazzo

The Palio dei Rioni - Gamberemo is the most cherished and eagerly awaited event of the summer in Giovinazzo, a coastal town in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia. For over thirty years, the Touring Juvenatium ODV, a historic local association, has organized this challenge that fires up the community and fills the central Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and the seafront with colors, banners, and cheering crowds.

Five districts, one shared passion

The heart of the Gamberemo is the friendly rivalry between the five historic districts of the city, each linked to a parish: Concattedrale, Sant'Agostino, San Domenico, San Giuseppe, and Immacolata. Each neighborhood fields its own team, colors, and banner, which is blessed in the days leading up to the race. The competition combines land and water trials: tug-of-war, relay races, skill and team games, culminating in the spectacular canoe race in the waters of Cala Porto, which is often the deciding factor for winning the palio.

A tradition that unites the square and the sea

What makes the Gamberemo unique is the bond between the historic center and the harbor: the event takes place simultaneously on the stage in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and on the water, with the maritime phases followed by the public via large screens. In recent editions, Touring Juvenatium has brought back the historic rowing trial, a return to its roots that has restored the palio's most authentic charm.

Part of the Patronal Feast

The Gamberemo is integrated into the patronal feast of Maria SS di Corsignano, which brings Giovinazzo to life in the second half of August with religious rites, illuminations, brass bands, and civic events. The palio represents its most engaging secular moment, capable of drawing entire families to the square and transforming the rivalry between districts into a grand community celebration.

A summer-long journey

The palio challenge is preceded by a lead-up program curated by Touring Juvenatium: tournaments, games, and trials among the youth of the five parishes that award points to define the starting grid for the Gamberemo. It is a way to build anticipation and involve younger generations in the most iconic tradition of Giovinazzo.