the Programm

In an evocative evening on the beautiful square of the Town Hall, which is illuminated by a few torches only, a group of noblemen representing the five quarters, followed by lower-class people, offers crude wax, straw, wood and produce of their fields in order to welcome the foreigners who will come to Cortona on the Feast Day of Saint Margaret. In the meantime, a group of men gathered around a sparkling fire melts the offered wax, which is used to cast the candles that will be offered to Saint Margaret with a procession taking place on the following day.

4 PM – Piazza della Repubblica
OFFER OF CANDLES TO SAINT MARGARET.
Shrilling trumpets and a drum roll accompany the five quarters on a costume parade along the main streets of Cortona towards the square. Dames, knights and children, all dressed in medieval costumes, pay homage to the Saint with coloured bunches of flowers.
Flagflyers, which are accompanied by the pressing rhythm of musicians, enchant the audience with their amazing performance. Then the ceremony becomes solemn when the Bishop receives a small group of representatives of each quarter and blesses the candles that will be offered to the Saint. Afterwards, all the people taking part in the parade, accompanied by musicians, flagflyers and soldiers, will form a procession and go to the Sanctuary, where a Mass is celebrated to bless the crossbowmen and the golden arrow.

from 10 AM to 11 PM – Piazza Signorelli and other venues

Let's get the medieval week started! The entire town goes back to the past and relive old customs and traditions. On the squares you can see craftsmen shaping copper and making basketry, stalls with swords, daggers, bows and leather bound books, masks, medieval jewels and florins of Cortona, which are used as currency of exchange.
The air is filled with delicious scents, old flavours and old trades are mixed together… A lot of delicacies are ready to be tasted by those who let them be tempted.
Live shows and performances then entertain the audience, such as the Historical Group of Cortona.

from 10 AM to 11 PM – Piazza Signorelli and other venues

Let's get the medieval week started! The entire town goes back to the past and relive old customs and traditions. On the squares you can see craftsmen shaping copper and making basketry, stalls with swords, daggers, bows and leather bound books, masks, medieval jewels and florins of Cortona, which are used as currency of exchange.
The air is filled with delicious scents, old flavours and old trades are mixed together… A lot of delicacies are ready to be tasted by those who let them be tempted.
Live shows and performances then entertain the audience, such as the Historical Group of Cortona.

9 PM – Piazza Signorelli

9 PM – Piazza Signorelli

The night has come, but the town is still awake. Trumpets and drums are being played while the square is coloured by flags spinning in the air, waving and swishing between the experienced hands of flagflyers. The flagflyers and musicians of Cortona perform an amazing flag-flying show in the rhythm of medieval music, making the audience's hearts skip a beat at every flag throw.

9.15 PM – Piazza Signorelli

Beautiful Antonia, Francesco Casali's wife-to-be, comes from far away.
Hawks and night birds of prey fly in the air, the whole town is celebrating! The representatives of the 5 quarters of Cortona gather to pay homage to the newly married couple! Flagflyers and musicians of Cortona perform amazing flag throwing shows, while the Armigeri del Girifalco are involved in duels with swords and axes.
The audience falls silent when the flagflyers and musicians illuminate the square with torches, swords and burning drums in a really evocative show.

10.30 PM
TRATTA DELLE VERRETTE (Draw of the crossbow shooting order of the tournament).

Tension goes up and is visible in everyone's eyes! The moment of deciding the shooting order of the joust has come!
The 5 assistants of crossbowmen put the wooden balls containing the names of the quarters in an amphora. In total silence the names are drawn establishing thus the shooting order of the Archidado joust.
Then a buffet is offered amid singing and dancing to celebrate the newly married couple and the forthcoming tournament!

4 PM – Piazza Signorelli

The big day has come! The whole town is celebrating. Dames, knights and children dressed in medieval costumes march in a parade along the streets of Cortona to the persistent rhythm of trumpets and drums.
Today the square is a triumph of colours, flags and flowers. Acting company Allegra Brigata entertain the audience with medieval music and songs until the town crier announces, one by one, the arrival of each quarter. The group of flagflyers and musicians of Cortona pays homage to the newly married couple, to the quarters and to the whole town performing wonderful flag-flying shows, which seize the attention of everyone on the square. The tension goes up when, on a drum roll, the first crossbowman is called to the platform. Then the whole square falls silent, seconds go by, while everyone's eyes are focused on the dice, waiting for the arrow shooting. A fraction of a second and the arrow reaches the target, allowing the audience to breathe again. In a crescendo of emotions, crossbowmen show their ability, trying to hit the centre of the target, a slightly imperceptible dot to most of the people, but perfectly visible to them and their arrows. The audience either exults or despairs until the exact counting of the two shooting turns sanctions the winning quarter. The newly-wed girl honours the winners, who after celebrating thank God with a “TE DEUM” in the Cathedral and then go back to the streets and the main squares of Cortona followed by the clapping hands of the whole audience.

10 PM –Cortona
MEDIEVAL COSTUME DINNER (reservation required)

The party goes on! The quarters gather together around a table to make a toast
and pay tribute to the winners in a joyful atmosphere of music and songs. The medieval week thus ends in a happy and joyful way, while everyone is already thinking to next year and the following Archidado Joust.