Sword Race and Palio of Camerino

A City Returning to the Renaissance

Every year, in May, the historic center of Camerino (Province of Macerata, Marche) transforms into an open-air theater. The Sword Race and Palio takes the city back to the era of the Da Varano lordship, the dynasty that dominated a vast territory of the Marche hinterland from the mid-13th to the mid-16th century. Born in 1982 with the aim of restoring Camerino's memory of its most fruitful period, the event has become one of the most beloved historical re-enactments in the Marche region, with the patronage of the Ministry of Culture.

The Three Terzieri

The heart of the festival is the rivalry between the three districts into which the city is divided: Muralto, Di Mezzo, and Sossanta. Each Terziere sets up its own tavern, where for days people dine amidst music, entertainment, and traditional dishes, and fields its athletes and participants. The entire city dresses up for the festival with emblems, banners, and decorations that take it back five centuries, thanks to the work of hundreds of volunteers.

The Dinner of the Thousand and the Eve Rites

The official opening is marked by the Dinner of the Thousand, a single, very long table bringing together citizens, students from the University of Camerino (Unicam), and friends of the Race for a collective toast that kicks off the event. In the following days, the Palio of Sant'Ansovino (archery competition), the evocative Offering of the Candles and Lighting of the Bonfire, Renaissance dance performances, historical narrations, and the Fair of San Venanzio take place. On May 18th, the patron saint's day, a solemn concelebration is held in the Basilica of San Venanzio.

The Sword Race

The climax is the Sword Race: thirty athletes, ten from each Terziere, compete along a 1,130-meter uphill course that crosses the entire city, from Piazza San Venanzio to the church of Santa Maria in Via. The first-place winner receives the sword, specially forged each year; the Terziere that places the most athletes among the top ten wins the Palio, which depicts the hand of Saint Venanzio holding the city of Camerino. Alongside the men's race, the women's relay and youth races are held, in a crescendo of tension and district pride.

The Historical Parade

Preceding and accompanying the race is the grand historical parade: hundreds of participants in Renaissance costumes – ladies, knights, flag-wavers, musicians, archers, and the Chiarine group – march through the city streets, recreating the court of the Da Varano. It is the spectacle that gives the Sword Race its unmistakable charm, drawing thousands of visitors to Camerino from all over the Marche region.