Palio del Mare

A one-of-a-kind regatta

The Palio del Mare is the signature event of Anzio, a coastal city in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. It is a sailing challenge that pits the city's eleven districts against each other in a fierce race in the waters of the Riviera di Levante, in front of the port. The Palio boasts two national records: it is the only one in all of Italy held on sailboats and the only one where two citizens from each district can board and participate directly in the regatta, on boats assigned to their district by lottery.

The boats and the districts

The competition is raced on J24 class one-design boats, provided by the owners of the sailing clubs and the Roman fleet, ensuring all crews compete on identical boats so that only the sailors' skill counts. Each district fields its own crew with the colors and name of the boat representing it: from Anzio Centro, Santa Teresa, and Anzio Colonia to Lavinio Mare, Lido dei Pini, Falasche, Pocacqua, Villa Claudia, Sacro Cuore, Quartiere Europa, and Lavinio Stazione. The trophy remains with the winning district for one year, fueling a fierce sporting rivalry in the city.

History and re-enactment

The Palio celebrates the birth of modern Anzio and the construction of its port. According to tradition, in 1691, Cardinal Antonio Pignatelli, the future Pope Innocent XII, was caught in a storm while traveling by sea from Naples to Rome and was shipwrecked off the coast of Anzio; saved by local fishermen, once elected Pope, he kept his promise to provide the city with a port, the construction of which was entrusted to the architect Carlo Fontana and completed at the end of the seventeenth century. The regatta is the second act of a broader event that also includes the historical re-enactment of the port's inauguration, linked to the Regional Federation of Historical Events of Lazio.

A day of celebration

The day of the Palio does not end at sea. After the boats arrive at the Innocenziano pier, the crews parade on land to the Church of Saints Pio and Antonio, before reaching Piazza Garibaldi, the heart of Anzio, where the awards ceremony takes place, accompanied by a brass band. The festival concludes with the traditional pasta party dedicated to the sailors and open to the city, in a convivial atmosphere that unites sport, maritime tradition, and a sense of belonging to the districts.

Anzio and its sea

Set in the evocative scenery of the Neronian port and the Lazio coast, the Palio del Mare is also an opportunity to discover Anzio, famous for its ancient history, the ruins of Nero's Villa, its beaches, and its seafood cuisine. The event, free and open to the public, attracts sailing enthusiasts, residents, and visitors to the seafront every year, offering a rare sporting spectacle deeply rooted in the city's identity.