The Giostra della Quintana was a historical

jousting Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponen ...

tournament in

Foligno Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located sou ...

, central Italy. It was revived as a modern festival in 1946. The tournament event takes place in June (1st Challenge) during a Saturday night and September (the counter-challenge) the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of September, and is proceeded each time by a festival with a 17th-century costumed parade.

Historical

The definition of Quintana comes from the 5th road of the

Roman military camp In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

s, where the soldiers were trained in

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

fighting. They would run against a dummy-soldier, trying to catch a ring hanging from an arm of the dummy. This is the origin of the tournament's name, but the first definition and documented "Quintana" as a knights' jousting tournament during a festival, dates back to 1448. In 1613 the build-up to the Quintana tournament included the carnival festivals we see today.

Modern

In 1946 the actual "Giostra della Quintana" was reborn. There are ten knights, each representing a quarter of the Town, and each with a distinctive flag. The knights gallop on horseback at high speed around a figure-of-eight shaped track, and must spear three rings. At each round of the competition the rings get smaller, requiring more precision with the lance. The rings hang from a rotating statue in the centre of the stadium. The oak statue dates back to 1613, and represents Mars "God of War" from ancient Greek mythology. It holds a shield with the symbol of Foligno, and the ring is attached on an outstretched arm ready to be speared. Over the Quintana weekend a number of festivities take place involving the whole town, including a parade with 800 characters dressed in 17th century costume on the day before the Ring Joust. {{DEFAULTSORT:Giostra Della Quintana Theatrical jousting Foligno Historical competitions of Italy Italian traditions