PHOTOS – QUINTANA 2016

By Larry & Arlene on Aug 19, 2016 in PHOTOS - | 13 comments

The Drums and Clarions of Porta Romana Prima Donna Prima Donna Lady in Waiting Prima Donna A drummers enthusiasm Happy anticipation Prima Donna Prima Donna Young ladies The twins The sisters Prima Donna and Court Thoughtful anticipation In conference Relaxed anticipation Knight with cellphone Proud citizens A happy grooms person Man and Owl Proud Sbandietteri dad Knight before the contest with his son. He happened to win this year. The halberd soldier The procession begins Learned man and procession Lady in waiting followed by the Prima Donna Knights on Parade The nobility Nobility on parade Prima Donna with paiges Prima Donna and entourage Young couples on parade Arlene in excellent company At rest before the parade The QUINTANA is a reenactment of a medieval pageant that the people of Ascoli Piceno have been doing for sixty years. The pageant centers around competitions between the six communities that make up the core of Ascoli Piceno called Sestieri. The Sestieri field teams and individuals to compete in medieval-style events such as choreographed flag tossing Sbandietteri, archery, and the highlight event where mounted horsemen, the Cavalierei or knights, engage a target with a lance in a form of joist or giostra. Each sestieri also fields a musical corp consisting of various drums and straight trumpets or clarions. The Quintana begins in mid July and culminates in the first weekend of August. This year, we decided to go to the staging area where the some 1,500 citizens of Ascoli who are participants gather to form up for the grand procession through town. This gave us an opportunity to freely circulate among these spectacularly costumed people and informally photograph them. The proud community spirit and enthusiasm of the wonderful people of Ascoli, I believe, comes through in many of these images. The Quintana is just one of the many reasons we feel that life for us in Ascoli Piceno is so rewarding....