Palio della Manesca

The Palio della Manesca in Brisighella

The Palio della Manesca is a historical re-enactment that takes place in Brisighella, in the Province of Ravenna, one of Italy's most beautiful villages nestled among the three hills of the Lamone Valley, in Emilia-Romagna. The event celebrates the ancient military art of the "manesca" crossbow, the "one-foot" weapon that was handled and loaded entirely by hand, without the aid of mechanical benches or supports, requiring great skill and physical strength from the crossbowmen.

The Rocca Manfrediana, theatre of the challenge

The heart of the event is the Rocca Manfrediana, the 14th-century fortress that overlooks the village and becomes the ideal setting for reliving the medieval era. Here, the districts of the valley's castles face each other in a series of shooting competitions, recalling the ancient military challenges of the Val Lamone, when the castles of Brisighella, Rontana, Calamello, and San Cassiano guarded the territory.

The competing districts

The participating crossbowmen are divided by lot into teams representing the historic castles of the valley:

• Castrum Brasichellae — Brisighella
• Castrum Rontanae — Rontana
• Castrum Calamelii — Calamello
• Castrum Sancti Cassiani — San Cassiano

A re-enactment faithful to history

The event is organized by the association Contea Brasichellae et Vallis Hamoniae, which meticulously reconstructs weapons and costumes with philological rigor. Safety in handling the crossbows is guaranteed by the presence of Master Crossbowman Davide Righini, an expert builder of faithful historical replicas and a national AICS instructor for Crossbow Shooting. In addition to the competitions, the Palio offers educational moments open to the public to discover the "manesca" crossbow up close, its components, and the techniques of construction and shooting, accompanied by performances by the Medieval Drummers of Brisighella.