About Pisa

I think the best time when you should go there is spring, because the weather is very good, but is't not too hot, so it's great.

Piazza dei Miracoli is really well worth visiting, it's one on the most important places in the world: there you can see the leaning tower, the baptistery, the "Campo Santo" and the Duomo Church.

Make sure you go shopping in Corso Italia, the main street, full of beautiful shops.

Another nice thing is to go for a walk along the "Arno" river, the main river in Tuscany.

If you have a time, don't miss the ice cream parlours in the Lungarno, the ice cream is well wort trying! If you love reading, don't miss the parks, especially the Giardino Scotto,  where you can relax, read and watch the world go by. 

Martina Fedele

Lucca Comics and Games

Do you want to visit Lucca?
There are big city walls! And you can walk on them.
You really should go there in late October - early November, for the "Lucca comics, movies and games" festival!
And if you like comics and video games, don't miss the multimedia area, with a lot of TVs and statues of your favorite heroes.
Finally for the "Lucca comics" a lot of people come there from all over Italy with cosplays.
Cosplays are handmade costumes which represent manga, or movie characters, like Katniss of Hunger Games, Harry Potter, or the protagonists of some games, like Altair, Ezio Auditore, from Assassin's Creed.
And why not? There are also some vampires, werewolves, and various monsters.
I think it's so amazing, if you see it once, you wish to get back there next year!!
If you have time, after the festival you should visit the city centre, with its narrow medieval streets, into the walls of course.
There are a lot of shops, and characteristic churches and squares.
The most famous square is the "Amphitheatre square".
Have a look at the website!
Vanessa Agostini

Tournament of Rioni in Forcoli

Forcoli since centuries has been divided into 5 rioni: Osteria (tavern) Mercato (marketplace) Ponte (bridge) Poggio (hill) and Babbuino (baboon).

A rione is like a neighborhood, in fact the Osteria rione is at the beginning of my town, the Mercato rione is where the market takes place now and also years ago, the Ponte rione takes place in the most important neighborhood of my town, the Poggio rione takes place in a neighborhood at the top of a hill that is located next to Forcoli and the Babbuino rione is at the end of my town.

When the Rioni festival began, years ago, there was a different tournament: the rioni had a horseriding competition but now they have a football team and they play matches at the stadium and the team that gains more points wins the tournament.

This event is important for the inhabitants of my town and it's also beautiful because in every neighborhood you can see flags with the rione's colors

I live in the neighborhood where the Ponte's rione takes place . 

Giulia Cortopassi

The beer festival

THE BEER FESTIVAL 

Each year the "beer festival" takes place in Pontedera.

This festival is usually held in summer and it lasts one week in June.

In this festival the inhabitants of Pontedera can volunteer to serve as waiters.

The food that the people eat is typically German, such as: sausages, sauerkraut, pork ribs and especially beer. The people who drink a lot.. . take a mug of beer after another.

This festival is cute, because not only the adults have fun... but also the children because there are some rides and a little stage where a German band sings a typical song from Bavaria.

THE FESTIVAL OF FRIED POTATOES

In the village where I live the famous festival of fried potatoes is celebrated every year from 15th to 25th August.
During these days, Victory Square is filled with the finest fruits of the surrounding countryside: the Tosca and the Monnalisa, two potato varieties that have characterized the place and its inhabitants, known for a long time as "patatai" (potato harvesters), for decades. 
A tradition linked to the particular flavor that the tubers receive from the sun and from the land of the hills of this area, thanks to the mild climate offered by some slopes, especially in places like Pregiuntino, Falorni and Cerretti. 
At the end of the 19th century they had already started to export their potatoes before many other farmers who were growing potatoes in the plains of the Arno valley. The festival of fried potatoes, which is organized by the committee of the Assunta Fair, has been celebrated for 43 years. During the festival every day the famous frying pan is on in Victory square where you can taste fries at your own will. Around the square there are many food stands and stalls where the tourist can buy typical foods and souvenirs. 
Finally every evening musical events are organized. 



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                                            Campinotti Giulia

The "Palio dei Ciui" in Santa Maria a Monte

From May 29 to June 2, the "Palio of Donkeys" takes place.
The event takes place in a sports facility in the Municipality of Santa Maria a Monte.
The race is a competition involving a donkey and a jockey with no experience of this type of racing.
The path is an oval track on the grass of the field of the local soccer team, about 350 meters long.

The first two qualifying heats, each with four participants determine the four finalist districts, based on the first two donkeys that cross the finish line (even without their rider) at the end of two full laps of the track.
The donkey who first manages to cross the finish line at the end of three laps of the final race determines the winning "contrada".
Year after year this competition has become an attraction not to be missed for many people from all over Tuscany and tourists in the area at this time.
Cheering linked to districts becomes more and more choreographed so as to create a spectacular backdrop to this delightful event.
Falls, donkeys which shake unlikely jockeys and peculiar taming techniques make the atmosphere extremely enjoyable and unforgettable.

http://www.toscanatascabile.it/ios/event/palio-dei-ciui/


Samanta Recce

THE MACCHERONE FESTIVAL

This festival takes place in my village, Buti, in the two last weeks of July. This festival is situated in the medieval castle of Buti. During this festival you can have dinner there and try some typical products. The highlight of the festival is "maccheroni", a typical type of pasta with meat sauce. After dinner there are a lot of people that drink a lot and sing all the time. Until midnight there are special guests like DJs, singers and dancers. This festival is organized to raise money for the village and in January they use this money for the most important event of the year, a horse race called "PALIO".

"Palio de' Ciui" in Lugnano

The Palio de' Ciui is an old tradition that developed in the locality "La Noce" near Lugnano where it is held today. This festival is celebrated every third Sunday of September in Lugnano.
Lugnano has been divided in five districts for centuries:
- Monte Bianco (white mountain) whose colors are red and white. The coat of arms of this district is the eagle. 
- Pozzo Antico (ancient well) whose colors are yellow and black and the coat of arms of this district is the gull. This is my district and it is very beautiful.
- Poggio (knoll) whose colors are white and light blue. This district is represented by the snake.
- San Giorgio (S. George) whose colors are dark blue and red and the coat of arms of this district is the dragon. 
- Canneto (cane-brake). This district is now out of the competition because there was an argument with the other districts. The colors of this district were green and white and its coat of arms was the otter. 
This competition begins whit the parade of each district. Then they play a small scene created by them. 
In the afternoon, at about six o'clock, after the allocation of the donkeys to all districts, there is the donkey race that takes place around a hill. Each donkey is galloped by a jockey. After a few laps the winner of the Palio is elected!

The Frate Festival

                      THE FRATE FESTIVAL

The Frate festival is organized by S. Nicolao, a district in Buti, where it takes place the friday, saturday and sunday of the first week in September.

During these days the locals help their district to organize the festival.

Some people cook and other set up the stands and organize the district street where the festival takes place in the evening.

For dinner there are some typical local dishes and as a dessert the frate, a small and roundish cake with a hole in the middle, made with a soft dough covered by sugar.

In the evening some guests such as two DJs and a small band play music to entertain the participants.
On Sunday, at the end of the festival, as a tradition a small wood dove, which is lit up on a wire suspended in the air, is launched, with some fireworks as a decoration.

Fabio Baldanzi

Medieval festival in Staffoli

The medieval festival in Staffoli takes place on the 8th of September and is organized by the local shopkeepers. 

For this festival, every shop-owner sets up a stand outside his or her shop and sell its products. 

Almost all the inhabitants wear an old dress and they model in the historic parade. During the parade you can see animals, such as horses, sheep, chickens and donkeys. When the parade takes place, flag-wavers and also people who play drums and trumpets march through the village. 

In the main square there are some nice shows like the cutting of the head with the guillotine, performances with fire and theater performances.

During the festival, there are some strange characters like the fortune teller, prostitutes, the victims of the plague, knights and many others. 

For dinner you can try typical dishes prepared by the butcher's shop, by the supermarket and the fish shop. Every shop becomes a tavern. 

 Scarpellini Matilde 

Summer night in Montefoscoli

Summer night in Montefoscoli

Montefoscoli is a little village, the village where I live, and each year there is a festival.

Every year the topic of this festival changes, this is year the theme is “Live in Montefoscoli in the year 1900”

The inhabitants of Montefoscoli wear strange costumes and hairstyles, the women wear a long brown skirt and brown shirt, their hair is gathered in a chignon.

The men instead wear brown trousers and plaid shirts.

The whole village is festooned with bales of hay and olive tree branches and around Montefoscoli you can feel the atmosphere of  the early 20th century.

This year the festival was held on 20^th of August, but every year the date changes.

During the day there were performances, the inhabitants marched through Montefoscoli.

In the evening there was a dinner around the village, you could eat at very peculiar tables, bales of hay transformed in table and chair .. It was a fantastic idea! The people who came to eat found this thing amazing!

You could taste classic Tuscan foods, like “zuppa”(cabbage soup), “trippa” (tripe)  “tortellini alla montefoscolese” (tortellini with cream and tomatoes), “lasagne”, grilled bread and grilled meat; and delicious desserts like “tiramisu” (cocoa powder mascarpone, Italian cheese, and Pavesini buiscuits), “torta della nonna” (grandma's cake, with cream and pine-kernels).

After the dinner in the upper part of Montefoscoli some guys played the guitar and sang, instead in the lower part of the village some girls danced.

All those who went to Montefoscoli this day were happy, because by now no one organises this kind of festival any more! 

                                 Asia Giuliotti

Our patron saint: Santo Stefano.

In Cascine di Buti at the end of june, people celebrate Santo Stefano. Santo Stefano is the patron Saint of Cascine di Buti. The celebration starts in the evening and finishes during the night. The celebration takes place in the car park behind the "Misericordia"

In this day a lot of people play with other people in the different games for example  "the fortune wheel" or "treasure hunt".

They come from other towns to celebrate this day and to speak with friends and relatives. I love going to the celebration because there are my friends or other people that I know. During the celebrations people do performances such a singing, dancing or speaking about politics or telling jokes. At midnight there is a fireworks display. Every year fireworks are beautiful and spectacular and to see them is amazing. I love to celebrate Santo Stefano because he was important for my town and because he is important for the people who believe in him.

This is our patron Saint, it is important for our population.

Chiara Stefani

The Medieval festival in Montopoli

The Medieval festival in Montopoli

The "Festa Medievale" of Montopoli, in the province of Pisa, takes place every year on
the second weekend of September.For one day the village revitalizes the Medieval Age with walk-ons (figuranti), brass bands (bande), and people from the village, babies and elderly people, all dressed up in medieval costumes representing farmers, carpenters, washerwomen, musicians and also noble people. Parades and street shows entertain the visitors from dawn to sunset. You can see fascinating street shows and taste traditional Tuscan food from the many stalls all along the main road, as well as antiques and fine handcraft that comes from all over the region.

A significant event is the Archery competition that is played in the afternoon: the two districts of the village -upside and downside- challenge each other to win the “palio” , a rag with a painted image.

This event involves most of the inhabitant of Montopoli and attracts people coming from the villages nearby and many tourists. 

http://www.montopoli.net/index.php?c=3

The White Night of Bientina (Notte Bianca)

The "White Night" is an occasion for the shops to be opened all night. This event comes once a year, in June. The purpose of this event is to show and sell the products, it's like an incentive for the people to buy, seeing the dramatic situation that we are living in our country at the moment. In my town, Bientina, this occasion presents a different theme every year: 


               Two years ago the theme was Hawaiian,

last year the theme was Western, 

instead this year the theme was Ancient Rome.

 

This occasion isn't only celebrated in the city center, but along every street of the town. Seeing that it's a themed night, everybody takes part in the theme dressing up. The buildings are decorated with lights, music and various decorations, in this way the occasion takes colour! Everybody is welcome to participate to buy products and taste the traditional foods of Tuscany that every shop has to offer on their stands outside every shop. It really feels as if travelling back in time and to live the ancient civilization. The nice thing about it is that every year it's a surprise for everybody, because the theme is announced a few days before, so that the shopkeepers and the citizens can prepare themselves in time. You never know what to expect until that day.

 Benedetta Perotti

Historic race of Calcinaia

The historic race of Calcinaia, called "rowing Palio" in the past, is a fixed seat rowing competition which takes place on the waters of the River Arno in honor of the patron Saint Ubaldesca Taccini. In the Middle Ages the palio, a long rich cloth, was used to welcome kings and emperors, putting it over their heads like a canopy, so it was a very precious material. The prizes which were offered to the winners in medieval racing consisted of some lengths of silk, wool or velvet, and were called palios. It was therefore a "race to win the Palio". In Calcinaia, the Palio, heart-felt and waited for during the whole year, typically takes place on the last Sunday of May or the first Sunday of June between the districts of the village after a costume parade. In the first editions all the villages and towns which overlooked the river (Pontedera, San Giovanni alla Vena, Uliveto) took place in the competition. Then over the years Calcinaia was divided into three districts: Montecchio, Nave, Oltrarno.



The district Montecchio, recognized with the color blue, occupies the north and east of the village and represents the bourgeois life of Calcinaia;









The district Oltrarno, in red, occupies the south area of the Arno and represents the popular classes that in the past lived in the countryside in front of the village;







The district Nave, in green, occupies the area north of the Arno near the old medieval castle and represents the lord of the castle with its army.

The documents proving the existence of the race date back to the beginning of the nineteenth century, but the oral tradition peasant dates the race at even more remote times.
The night before the race, according to the tradition, a street party called "relive the past" is organized. It is a historical manifestation through the streets of the village that brings the whole village back in time. During this evening you can admire medieval carts, 19th century poor farmers hand in hand with 18th century distinct aristocrats, performances of all kinds, attractions, games, live paintings and food stalls, all kinds of drinks and tasty treats.
I really recommend to participate in this celebration different from the usual but however full of fun and cheer.

Foschetti Ylenia

THE BIRDS EXHIBITION in Capannoli

The birds exhibition is an event which takes place in Capannoli on the second Sunday of September.
This year the fifty-third edition of this event, which is considered as the most important in Tuscany, is being held.
The birds exhibition is characterized by the famous singing competition of songbirds from all over Italy.

For the children who live in Capannoli the day of this event is the last day of summer because the day after the event they must go back to school.
During the day of this event it is prohibited to circulate with any form of motor transport and for this reason there is a free shuttle bus that transports people to where the festival begins.
In the streets of the village there are a lot of stalls where we can find clothes, shoes, toys, something for the house and typical food.
In front of the Church there are a lot of animal stalls where we can buy cats, dogs, fishes, birds, hamsters and turtles.
It is a very beautiful event.                                            

Martina Simm.

Race of the 4 Maritime Republics (IT. Regata delle 4 Repubbliche Marinare)

This year the "Race of the 4 Maritime Republics" will be held in Pisa on the afternoon of June 23, on the Arno river.

Every year, on a day between the end of May and the beginning of July, in our country there is the Race (or Palio) of the Ancient Maritime Republics. These are: Pisa, Amalfi, Genoa and Venice. 

Each republic has its own colour and its own distinctive symbol on the galleon, which is equivalent to the emblem of the city: the red colour and the eagle for Pisa, the blue colour and the winged horse for Amalfi, the white colour and the gryphon for Genoa , the green colour and the winged lion for Venice.

The site of the battle is rolling across the 4 cities, where, before the race, people parade

through the streets of the host city wearing the clothes of ancient characters that characterize the republic. The idea of an event that would group the 4 ancient Maritime Republics of the Middle Ages was born at the end of the 40s of the twentieth century by the Pisan Mirro Chiaverini. He presented his idea to the Provincial Ente of Tourism, which immediately accepted it and sent it to the other three cities to join in. At the beginning Venice didn't want to participate in the race but only in the historical parade. However, the three other cities insistet so much that, it finally agreed.
The cortege in Pisa refers to the legend of Kinzica de 'Sismondi, the heroine who according to the tradition, saved the city from the Saracens in 1004. But not just her, in fact there are costumes that recall the various leaders who led one after another the government of Pisa (consuls, mayor, captain of the people). The soldiers, recognizable by the black eagles, a symbol of the Empire, which appears on the chest, the sailors, the trumpeters and timpanists take place in the parade too.

The regulation of the Race remains the same in its substance, despite having undergone some small changes. Four crews take part in the race, each made up of eight rowers and a coxswain, in addition to some reserves.

Athletes must come for half from the region and for another half from the province. The boats, called galleons, must possess all the same structural parameters: before departure they are regularly weighed at no load and with accessories, oars not included, and they must weigh less than 760 kilograms.

The four galleons must be recognizable through the colours and the figurehead, the structure placed at the bow of the boat, that is the animal which is the symbol of the city.

The Race, like any other rowing race, is 2km long.
It differs depending on the locality where it is performed: in Pisa you row on the river Arno, in Amalfi along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, in Genoa in the harbor basin of the Ligurian Sea and in Venice in the quaint lagoon on the Adriatic Sea.



The winner is the boat whose figurehead passes the finish line first: for Pisa it is the ends of the claws of the eagle, for Amalfi the tip of the front hoof of the winged horse, for Genoa the tip of the nostrils of the gryphon, and for Venice half of the sword contested by the winged lion.

It's forbidden to invade the opponent's lane, unless you are a boat ride away (a unit of measurement of rowing) from him.

The winning city receives in award a trophy in gold and silver, which represents a galleon supported by four sea-horses, under which the coats of arms of the four Maritime Republics appear. The winner holds it for a year, until the day of the next edition, when it is again on the field.
At the base of the trophy a coin with the symbol of the winning city, which remains for ever to the winner, is also being paid from year to year.

These are the results of the races witch have been taken place until today:

City	1º	2º	3º	4º
Venice	30	14	7	5
Amalfi	10	7	9	30
Pisa	8	20	18	10
Genoa	8	15	22	11

This year the race will take place here:

For more information:

http://www.giugnopisano.com/

Contact the organizers:
City of Pisa   Via degli Uffizi, 1-56100 Pisa
Phone: 050 910111
Fax: 050 500242
E-mail: comune.pisa @ postacert.toscana.it
Web: http://www.comune.pisa.it/it/home



Review by:

Maria Chiara Fanteria