3740 Il Palio Della Rana

Siena is world famous for its Palio but Le Marche can provide just as much entertainment with its own rather unusual form of this event.

Il Palio della Rana is held each year in Fermignano only 10 kms from Urbino.
The town is more famously known as birthplace of Bramante however the Palio della Rana must also have put it on the map for having the craziest frogs.

The origins of the race go back to 1607 when Francesco Maria della Rovere, 15th Count of Montefeltro and Duke of Urbino,founded the first town council of Fermignano.
To celebrate no longer being under the rule of Urbino, the people of Fermignano took to the streets and had al sorts of fun and games and general party mood. Amongst the merrymaking was the frog and wheelbarrow race!!!

Seven districts of Fermignano compete for the trophy and each district has 4 competitors. Each team wears different coloured jackets and have their own emblems.

The race is 170 metres long and the participants push a wheelbarrow with a frog sitting on top.

We have friends from the UK who are Frog mad and have no end of frogs around the house (cuddly toys etc not the real ones)!!!
When they visited us a few years ago, we told them that we were going out for a special lunch. You should have seen them when they found out our destination.When the race started one of them got so excited that he spilt the entire contents of a bottle of water over the guy infront!!!!

The whole thing was hilarious. Not only the frogs as they jumped of the wheelbarrow and tried to do a runner, but the seriousness involved before the race.
They even had vets there to inspect the animals!!!
We jumped up and down croaking with laughter------groan!!!!!

For centuries the people of Fermignano have brought their animals to be blessed in the name of San't Antonio Abate, protector of animals and an annual event takes place in Feb. where animals take centre stage.

Worth going to Il Palio della Rana if you are in need of some laughter therapy.
Remember to change the ring tone on your mobile!!!!:D :D :D

Category
Do & See

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/23/2006 - 08:33

You're right, the Palio della Rana is just hilarious, most of all the vets thing: many years ago (about 20) there was an old local vet who was famous for being in charge year after year of the frog wellbeing before and after every race!
Personally it always reminds me of Tom Sawyer feeding lead to racing frogs...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/23/2006 - 08:58

Hey this could be a new position for Italy's biggest "toad" of the moment------Luciano Moggi.
He could set up his mobile with the crazy frog ring tone and then when all the vets and umpires call him with bribes he would be easy to detect!!!!:rolleyes:

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/23/2006 - 11:45

[LEFT][/LEFT]
[FONT=Verdana]I think we can say that we are spoilt for choice as the Marche holds a number of these bizarre events. Another one to watch out for is the Palio dell’oca, which is held in Cagli on the second Sunday in August.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]This one dates back to 1453 and involves Cagli’s four historical contrade whose costumed members race geese through the town. [/FONT]

Watch out Palio di Siena, with frogs and geese you don't stand a chance.:) :D

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 05/23/2006 - 15:49

Well, the Palio del Somaro is held in Mercatello sul Metauro on the third Sunday of July!
This also involves 4 Mercatello contrade and on the Friday before they also have a Formula 1 Birucini race (birucini meaning carts but really being tiny wooden pedal "cars").

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/24/2007 - 07:34

[QUOTE=Dream Academy]Siena is world famous for its Palio but Le Marche can provide just [B]as much entertainment [/B]with its own rather unusual form of this event.[/QUOTE]

Sorry. I have a lot of respect for any kind of traditions in Italy. But you can't compair the Palio della Rana with the Palio of Siena.

The Palio of Siena is not entertainment. The Palio of Siena is life.

Anyway. Have fun.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/24/2007 - 07:40

[QUOTE=Charles Joseph][LEFT][/LEFT]
[FONT=Verdana]
Watch out Palio di Siena, with frogs and geese you don't stand a chance.:) :D[/QUOTE]

Haha. Are you trying to be funny ? I can't stand jokes about the sienese tradition.
But I can also understand you people. This is a public forum and if you aren't born with an important tradition like that you can't even imagine how much it is for local people.
And again: Anyway, have fun.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/24/2007 - 08:11

Elefante, the idea here is not being rude to other people...
I'd have a few things to say about the Palio di Siena, but I try to help people enjoying everything Italy can offer and not judgeing people and traditions.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/24/2007 - 08:16

Important traditions exist everywhere, for everyone and should be respected everywhere, by everyone.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/24/2007 - 08:49

[QUOTE=Giulia da Urbino]Elefante, the idea here is not being rude to other people...
I'd have a few things to say about the Palio di Siena, but I try to help people enjoying everything Italy can offer and not judgeing people and traditions.[/QUOTE]

That's ok Giulia. I didn't quote your message...did I ?
And if you want to say something about the Palio of Siena you can go on the Palio thread :[URL="http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/culture-entertainment/1562-palio.html"]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/culture-entertainment/1562-palio.html[/URL]

And for Karina:

You are right. That's what I'm trying to say.
So people should stop making jokes about the sienese Palio.
We are distrustful and polemical, but if somebody shows that they take something like the Palio serious we open our heart.
Questo è tutto che volevo dire. Ciao.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/24/2007 - 14:56

Personally I considered the sentence: "Watch out Palio di Siena, with frogs and geese you don't stand a chance" as making jokes about the palio della rana and palio dell'oca, and, coming from the place where the palio della rana is held, I found it fun and I really think that it's hard to consider it offensive...
I'm not interested in saying anything about the Palio di Siena in any thread here, thank you.