3182 La Corsa all'anello, Narni

This is a wonderful medieval festival over the first 2 weeks of May. I would recommend the 2nd Sunday of May, which is the final day. The town is split into quarters and compete against each other, with jousting, horse racing, bands and parades, all in costume. In the evening the winners are decided and the town goes crazy, lots of cantina's are opened up to provide home cooked food and rivers of wine. In the place we had chosen to eat, the owners were in particular fine form, as they were one of the winners and had decided not allow anyone in unless they could drink a goblet of wine in one go. Since I had to help a number of people in my party gain entry, things got a little hazy after, but I do remember getting back to Rome just in time to see the sunrise.

Category
Do & See

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/06/2006 - 13:55

Local festas are always wonderful - aren't they!
Also Narni is one of my favourite places, very much off the main tourist route, but the elegant flat street with the Loggi can compete with Florence any day in my opinion.
I have been despairing for more than 20 years about the inadequacy of publicity in Italy for such parades as your Corsa all'anello - and there are similar events in almost every town in Italy - it is just a matter of finding out about them on the day, (rather than hearing about them the day after).
I think also the "British reserve" deters some visitors from getting involved: this is very sad, because certainly in a town like Narni, Trevi, Spello, etc. etc. the exoticness of having a visiting Brit sharing the table gives great pleasure to the Italian hosts, and a story to dine out on for the visitor.
I think it is encouraging that this Umbria "promotion" is trawling up gems like Norcia and Narni - after all, Perugia and Assisi will come up with professional English language websites at the flick of a google.
Let's keep it up!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/07/2006 - 02:27

(rather than hearing about them the day after).

I am so glad this isn't only me, it is almost like they do it on purpose just to upset you. The times I have found a small poster, under the sink in the ladies toilets, of the bar that only seems to be open 3 times a year, for something that happened the day before!!!

I did find what I thought was a great website by the commune of Rome listing all the Sagre for Lazio. Then we tried to go to some, 1st one had the wrong date, 2rd wrong town and the third could have been anything, because nobody had any idea about it.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/07/2006 - 05:04

[QUOTE=Markcarter](rather than hearing about them the day after).

I am so glad this isn't only me, it is almost like they do it on purpose just to upset you. The times I have found a small poster, under the sink in the ladies toilets, of the bar that only seems to be open 3 times a year, for something that happened the day before!!!

I did find what I thought was a great website by the commune of Rome listing all the Sagre for Lazio. Then we tried to go to some, 1st one had the wrong date, 2rd wrong town and the third could have been anything, because nobody had any idea about it.[/QUOTE]

Ha ha Mark - Could only happen there! Just go with the flow. Rina