On 12 and 13 June, Foligno will host the Giostra della Quintana: La Sfida, a gripping event combining spectacle and competition.

The city comes alive with the opening of the ten district taverns, where one can taste typical 17th-century gastronomic dishes, in which everyone faithfully dresses in Baroque-era clothing, giving the visitor a journey back in time that is unparalleled.

During the race, riders from the city's ten districts compete in the 'Campo de li giochi'. Each jockey, riding his own horse, tries to thread his lance through the ring hanging from the Quintana statue, placed in the centre of a 'figure-of-eight' course, in a race involving three rounds: at each round, the diameter of the ring decreases, becoming narrower and narrower.

The rider who finishes the course in the shortest possible time and without penalty wins the Palio, taking it away from his rivals.

A unique challenge preceded by the spectacular historical procession that, the evening before the Joust, parades through the streets of the centre: a leap back in time among ladies and knights in splendid Baroque costumes.

For the complete programme click here.

For more information: quintana.it