Palio of San Renato

A village Palio at the foot of the Lattari Mountains

The Palio of San Renato is the signature event of Moiano, the most populous hillside village in the municipality of Vico Equense, in the province of Naples, Campania. Between late June and mid-July, the village nestled at the foot of the Lattari Mountains transforms into a grand arena: six districts compete in trials inspired by traditional games, the town divides into the colors of its neighborhoods, and Piazza Scanna becomes the stage for evening challenges.

The event is promoted by the social promotion association Frisc e Paesan APS with the support of the Municipality of Vico Equense and is part of the Vico d'Estate summer program. This is not a re-enactment staged for tourists; it is a community festival, animated by residents, which has recently gained national attention through its participation in the Rai 2 program Il Palio d'Italia.

The legend of the knight and the dragon

At the heart of the Palio lies a local legend. A knight from Sorrento, facing a giant dragon terrorizing the district, reportedly invoked the help of San Renato, Bishop of Sorrento and patron saint of Moiano, promising to build a church on the very spot of the battle if he defeated the beast. According to the tale, the knight won by thrusting his lance into the monster's jaws and kept his vow: this promise is said to have led to the founding of the village's parish church. This is the story the Palio brings to life every year, concluding the event with the famous Dragon's Assault.

The six districts

The village is divided into six districts, each with its own color, competing for the banner:

• Patierno (yellow)
• Piana di Casola (red)
• Modianus (blue)
• Arenarius (light blue)
• Cuneus Cerenius (yellow)
• Santa Maria del Castello (green)

Only residents of the respective districts participate in the competitions, and there is no entry fee: this rule keeps the Palio anchored in the real life of the village, where every family has always known which district they belong to.

Traditional games

The schedule of challenges revives the repertoire of popular games from the Sorrento Peninsula and the rural world. Among the trials returning each edition:

• tug-of-war, often in a mixed version;
• barrel racing and hay bale racing;
• the greasy pole, the most anticipated and slippery challenge;
• sack racing, can tossing, and the throwing of the strummolo, the traditional Neapolitan wooden spinning top;
• craft trials like nail the nail and cut the log;
• cart and basket racing, reminiscent of field work;
• the night relay that crosses the village and arrives in Piazza Scanna.

There is also a gastronomic component, which is just as important as the competition: the opening Food Fight, a relay culinary challenge based on mystery ingredients, and the collective spaghettata that precedes the evening relay.

The historical pageant and the Dragon's Assault

The final day is the most spectacular. The medieval historical pageant parades through the village streets with costumed figures, banners, and drums from the six districts; then the square fills up for the staging of the Dragon's Assault, with knights re-enacting the legendary deed. This is the moment when the banner painted for the edition is awarded, before a crowd that has gathered up to three thousand people in the past.

Moiano and the Vico Equense territory

Moiano has about 3,500 inhabitants and is the most populous district of Vico Equense: its name is said to derive from Mons Jani, the mountain dedicated to Janus, the Roman deity protecting vineyards. The parish church dates back to 1585 and houses the tomb of the Cavolini family; higher up, the sanctuary of Santa Maria del Castello, near Monte Molaro, opens onto the famous Path of the Gods and a panorama that embraces the Amalfi Coast. It is a land of dairies—provolone and fresh dairy products—agriculture, and craftsmanship, and the organizing association dedicates its other initiatives to these local products. The patron saint is celebrated with solemnity in October, while the Palio is the civil and sporting festival that ignites the summer.