The Moments of The Quintana

Sestieri all’Erta

The city of Ascoli dives into the Middle Ages with the event that opens the Quintana season

Ascoli’s Quintana season officially opens with “Sestieri all’Erta,” an event with which the city of Ascoli Piceno is catapulted back in time to the Middle Ages. The picturesque setting of Piazza Arringo becomes the natural stage for the occasion where the Oath of the Consuls involving the city’s six Sestieri will be staged. This is the event that will formally begin the challenge to the dreaded Moor. During the course of the event, an arena is set up inside which the Games between sestieri, the “bomb” Throwing Contest (a typical throw of the Ascoli school of flag-throwing that consists of throwing the flag as high as possible and then catching it without dropping it to the ground) and other performances will take place.

Reading of the Announcement

The Camerlengo of the municipal group challenges the six Sestieri

Historical reenactment also thrives on moments and times that trace the rituals of ancient city celebrations. According to the statutes of the time before the actual jousting took place the reading of the notice of challenge. This is the act that officially invites the Sestieri to challenge each other. Written in the vernacular, the notice of challenge explains the modalities of the Joust. It is read by the Camerlengo of the municipal group who for the occasion walks the ancient streets of the center to alert the citizenry to attend the challenge of the knights at the Campo dei Giochi.

Greeting to the Lady of Peace

The Sestieri play tribute to the “Madonna del Latte” kept in safe in the church of Sant’Agostino

The eve of the July jousting challenge is marked by the solemn religious ceremony in which the blessing of the knights and the drawing of the order of assaults takes place. II July knightly tournament is preceded by the homage to Our Lady of Peace, a ritual that takes place in the churchyard of St. Augustine’s Church, where the icon is kept. Legend has it that ancient Ascolan families, at war with each other, were reconciled by hearing the sound of bells coming from the church where the effigy of “Our Lady of Peace” is still kept.

Blessing of Candles

The Sestieri gave a votive candle to Sant’Emidio, Patrone of Ascoli Piceno

The August Joust has as its prologue the “Blessing of Candles” ceremony, celebrated in Arringo Square in front of the cathedral. In antiquity, representatives of the arts and guilds donated a votive candle to the city’s bishop to endear themselves to the patron saint Saint Emidio. The municipality of Ascoli contributed the “big candle”. During the ceremony, the bishop of Ascoli read a famous passage from the first letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. After that, the draw is made for the order of assaults in the following day’s joust.