Giostra dell'orso 2010 Giostra dell'orso Images

The Giostra della Quintana is a knight historical ring jousting tournament. It takes place in the Town of Foligno, in central Italy. The challenges takes place in June (1st Challenge) during a Saturday night and September (the counter-challenge) the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of September. The definition of Quintana comes from the 5th road of the Roman military Camps, where the soldiers were trained to the lance fighting. They run against a dummy-soldier, trying to catch a ring hanging from an arm of the dummy. Here 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 Priors included the Quintana in the events of Carnival festivals, and all has been hystorically documented. In 1946 the actual "Giostra della Quintana" was re-born. Actually the knights are 10, each representing a quarter of the Town. Rushing at gallop, they have to spear 3 rings having smaller size at each carousel. The rings are hanging from a rotating statue representing Mars the "Lord of War" from the ancient classic memories. The staue is in oak, the original dates back to 1613 (XVIIth century), it holds a shield with the symbol of Foligno and on the straight arm are hanging the rings to spear. During the events period, a number of happenings involve the whole town. A parade takes place with 800 characters dressed in original-like precious dresses: a historically documented walk in the town during the day before the Ring Joust.