Giostra della Quintana
Coordinates: 42°57′07″N 12°42′19″E / 42.95188°N 12.70538°E
The Giostra della Quintana was a historical jousting tournament in Foligno, 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 XVII century costumed parade.
Historical
The definition of Quintana comes from the 5th road of the Roman military camps, where the soldiers were trained in lance 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 XVII century costume on the day before the Ring Joust.