Festa dei Barbari

Feel somewhat tired this morning after a heavy afternoon and evening at our Festa and probably a bit too much red wine – but for me these days, anything more than a large glass makes me feel rough! 

Yesterday was the final day of four festa days in the village and, in my opinion,  the best.  The afternoon activities begin at 5.30pm and there is always an element of surprise because no one seems to know exactly what form they are going take until the last moment!  For the last few years the ‘barbarians’ have approached on horseback across the football field and held a battle on the car park.  This year we were told there were to be no horses – some health and safety issue (didn’t think they had these in Italy!)

But they obviously got over that because at 5.30pm along the main road (NOT the football field!) came the barbarians on horseback and proceeded to have a battle in front of the church.  After this, as usually happens, the Barbari followed by a large number of the villagers dressed in costume proceeded up the main street towards our house.  We must have THE best vantage point in the village on Festa days because our steps face right onto the road making great viewing. The procession then climbs up the steps into the top of the village where other fights take place.

After all this activity everyone is rather hungry and so congregate for  a meal of cinghiale (wild boar)  in the village square sat at large trestle tables whilst being entertained by wandering musicians playing a kind of bagpipe and being ‘watered’ continuously with wine by other barbarians from what look like giant weed-killer containers!  By 11pm, after standing transfixed watching a dancing display for an hour we were pretty shattered but thankfully it only took five minutes to stagger home!