Holiday houses, villas, apartment, hotels and more

We need your travel dates to give you the best available offers

The Festival of the Thrush in Montalcino 2012

The Festival of the Thrush in Montalcino 2012
Montalcino

The festival of the thrush or Sagra del Tordo is held in the old Tuscan town of Montalcino on the last October weekend.

Thousands of tourists go to Montalcino while the festival. If you want to see the festival of the thrush, you should take care of accommodation in Montalcino in advance. It’s better to come a bit earlier for the festival. On the day of the competition, you will have to leave your car far away in the valley and walk a couple of kilometers up. Don’t forget to ask your landlords to help you buy tickets for the ceremonial dinner and the tournament.

On the eve of the festival, on Friday night, holiday atmosphere is felt everywhere. The young sing songs, cheering their archers and teasing rivals. Stores and shops present their merchandise; trattorias offer the famous “Brunello di Montalcino” and other sorts of wine to accompany traditional food.

On Saturday, early in the morning, the town is waked by sounds of drums and trumpets. Participants of the contest gather together by the old town hall building. Colorful processions dressed in historic costumes go along streets of the medieval town. Prior shooting starts after noon. It determines the order in Sunday performance. A festive dinner is held at each of the four town districts (Pianello, Travaglio, Ruga, Borghetto) at night. Those who take part in the festive dinner share excitement of the coming contest with each other and try to raise competition spirit in the participants, as prestige of the district depends on success of its representatives.

On Sunday, festival procession goes along Montalcino streets accompanied by old music sounds again. After the archers have been blessed, they go to present their small motherland. Two representatives of each district take part in the contest. The winners enjoy their well-deserved reward while the ceremonial dinner.

Maria Korzhevskaja

Date: 21/05/2012

Comments (0)

No comments

See also

Montalcino - Tuscany
Montalcino
If you want to feel the color of Tuscan life in full, you should visit the town of Montalcino. It is located on a picturesque hill. The most well-known local wine is Brunello di Montalcino.
Palio di Siena - Festivals and Holidays in Tuscany
Festivals and Holidays in Tuscany
Not only landscapes and architecture make each province of Tuscany unique but also peculiar traditions, tournaments and festivals. Viareggio carnival is the main holiday event of the year.

News

The Festival of the Thrush in Montalcino 2012
The festival of the thrush or Sagra del Tordo is held in the old Tuscan town of Montalcino on the last October weekend. Thousands of tourists go to Montalcino while the festival. If you want to see the festival of the thrush, you should take care of accommodation in Montalcino in advance. It’s better to come a bit earlier for the festival. On the day of the competition, you will have to leave your car far away in the valley and walk a couple of kilometers up. Don’t forget to ask your landlords to help you buy tickets for the ceremonial dinner and the tournament.
Tuscany: Gastronomic Festivals in October
Towns and villages of Tuscany hold various gastronomic festivals regularly from May to October. These events are dedicated to some product or dish typical for this area. Usually such festivals are organized on days-off. Sometimes they last for a couple of weekends. Fairs are often combined with diverse entertainment program. The October of 2011 offers a number of gastronomic events in Tuscany.
Tarot Garden
The Tarot garden as a work of art is a combination of landscape design, sculpture and architecture. The garden is located on the southern slope of the Garavicchio hill in the Tuscan Maremma, a few kilometers away from the town of Capalbio. The Franko-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle created it.