Torrita di Siena prepares for the 65th Palio dei Somari
It’s finally time for the 65th Palio dei Somari in Torrita di Siena. Exceptionally from 21 to 29 May 2022, the Sagra San Giuseppe Association presents an edition that wants to be ideally inspired by peace, considered an essential condition for the life and progress of every community.
In addition to marking the return of the famous Taverns, the Palio dei Somari 2022 offers various events until Sunday 29 May, when, in the donkey race, the eight Contradas will compete for the coveted drape that this year is painted by the artist Salvatore Ferrante “Soterus”.
«In Torrita di Siena – comments the president of the Sagra San Giuseppe Yuri Cardini Association – there is already an atmosphere of celebration that will certainly increase in the next few days, when the event gets underway. However, it is in this joyful atmosphere that the events that are happening in Ukraine are perceived as even more dramatic. For this reason, symbolically, as an Association we intend to dedicate the edition of the Palio dei Somari that is about to begin to the value that peace has for all the communities of the world ».
The 65th edition of the Palio dei Somari will start on Saturday 21 May at 17.00, with the opening of the Medieval Market of La Nencia, the exhibition of handicrafts that winds through the streets of the historic center, followed, at 18.00, by the ceremony in which the combinations of the Contrade are extracted for the phase qualification of the Race.
At 8.00 pm there are the Taverns, the different places where the Contradas serve different delicacies, animated by itinerant shows in medieval style. The entertainment continues in the square with the group of Gli Acrobati del Borgo and, until late at night, with the folk-rock music of I Matti delle Giuncaie.
Sunday 22, throughout the day the gardens adjacent to the historic center are transformed into Somarando, the children’s area where the animals protagonists of the event are present; in the village, the Medieval Market of La Nencia is joined by the Exhibition of Arts and Crafts, an image of craftsmen engaged in works forgotten over time.
From 3.30 pm, the shows of acrobats and acrobats in the village and the performance of the group of flag-wavers, drummers and musicians of the Cassero district of Castiglion Fiorentino anticipate the performance, at 20.00, of the students of the school of the Sbandieratori and Tamburini Group and, at 21.00, the screening of the preview of the docufilm Passione senza Fine, dedicated to the history and thirty-year activity of the Group. At 19.30 the appointment with the Taverns returns.
Wednesday 25 in Piazza Matteotti the screening of the funny feature film Frankciukeinstein “pichino” is expected, made by the In Veritas Group, made up of aficionados of the world of the Palio who have ventured into a parody of the famous film by Mel Brooks, declining it on the characteristic elements of the Palio dei Somari .
On the other hand, it is within the eight Contradas that attention is directed on Friday 20, the date of the propitiatory dinners, during which the Contradaioli welcome their own fantini: Jonathan Guerri “Rafia” for Cavone; Gabriele Grotti “Divino” for Le Fonti; Alessandro Stampigioni “Scheggia” for Porta a Pago; Diego Sargentoni “Joker” for Porta a Sole; Andrea Peruzzi “Drago” for Porta Gavina; Alessandro Guerrini “Cobra” for Porta Nova; Alessio Deriu “Pampero” for Refenero and Matteo Noli “Galletto” for Stazione.
Saturday 28, at 9.30 pm in Piazza Matteotti, the drape of the Palio dei Somari 2022 is shown, painted for this by Salvatore Ferrante “Soterus”, who has lived in Torrita di Siena since 2011, where he began his artistic career, experimenting with the union between painting and woodworking. To learn more about this artist and his painting technique, from 21 to 29 May you can visit the exhibition set up with some of his works in Via Maestri.
At 22.00 space is left for the pairs competition between the flag-wavers and the drummers of the Contrade and the performance of the quartets of the ancient Castles.
Sunday 24 the entrance of the procession of each Contrada in Piazza Matteotti marks the beginning of the day that continues with the Holy Mass, officiated in the Church of Santi Costanzo and Martino, with the performances of the flag-wavers and drummers in Piazza Matteotti and the long historical procession for the streets of the village.
The Palio dei Somari takes place in the afternoon, at 16.00, in the competition field set up at the Gioco del Pallone. In case of rain, the Palio is postponed to Thursday 2 June.