Arezzo Jousting contest 9-3-05

The Arezzo Jousting Contest was on Sunday, September 3^rd, the day after we arrived. A short and beautiful 10 minutes away, Arezzo is the provincial capital of the region. The city is amazing; so old and lovely, and completely dominated by pedestrians. The festival began with each jousting team from each village marching through the town. Each group was dressed in a different costume and seemed to have a different emblem and song.

We followed the procession up to a park at the top of the town. We hung out there for a while and watched the teams march up. They seemed to be about 15 minutes apart, and each played a different tune. The group started with a child, drummers, a lord and lady, archers, flag bearers, and jousters on horseback.

We had a wonderful lunch at a little sandwich shop. The bread reminded me of a thick tortilla folded in half filled with whatever you chose...I had tomato, mozzarella & spicy salami.

We hung out and watched as each team entered a piazza in front of the large church. The jousting contestant from each town put on a large hat with a metal figure on top, and posed for the ceremony. It was pretty amazing...I really felt transported back in time, especially with the huge castle in the background.

Here is a view from the city wall looking out into the countryside. The jousters with the ornate helmets on. Several of the parks I've seen have little bars in them. Usually you can get coffee or wine and snacks at the bars. It's a nice environment, as the parents can hang out at the tables and chat while the kids play.