The Saracino Joust is a historical medieval commemoration that occurs in the city of Arezzo maybe since the 13th century. It consists in the participation of 4 quarters which the city is shared in, that is:
Porta Crucifera quarter (known even as Colcitrone)
Porta del Foro quarter (known as San Lorentino)
Porta Saint Andrea quarter (born in 1932)
Porta Saint Spirit quarter (anciently called Porta del Borgo)
It is an ancient knight contest that draws its origins in the Middle Age and consists in hitting a target placed on the shield of the robot (recreating the image of the India King) by a hit of the lance at theend of a quick run riding a horse.The whole develops without letting yourself hitting by the set of balls, held by the same robot, that is moved by a mechanical engine.
At the beginning maybe that riding against a horse was part of a military training, that slowly has achieved the character of an event in which the knights faced one another during particular parades or simply to show their own ability. Tourneaments and jousts in Arezzo land are dealt with by Dante Alighieri, at the beginning of 22nd chant of Hell's Book of his Divine Comedy. The first edition of our times occurred the 7th of august of 1931, the same date as the Arezzo Saint protector: San Donato. According to the tradition the historical commemoration was recovered further to the finding of Alfredo Bennati in 1930 in the civic Library. It is written that Bennati was searching for the recipe of a cake and found casually in medieval documents that described the development of a joust among knights of the noble house of the County. The joust shoud train the military to fight against pedestrians who used to come to inner lands from the coastlines. That is the reason why the Robot looks like a India King with middle-east clothes and accessories.
On the 7th of august 1931 the podestà Pier Ludovico Occhini recovered in modern way the Saracino Joust. If the past editions were done to mark the differences among the noble classes, with the modern time's the agonism took place. Thus the city was shared in most parts and to each sector some joust players would represent them.
The city of Arezzo was divided in 5 areas called Quintieri: Porta Crocifera (white and green), Porta Fori (yellow and red), Porta Santo Spirito (gold and blue), Saione (white, red and green) and Porta Burgi (red, green and gold). That last quintiere won the first joust of the 20th century. ALready since the 1932 the game changed and you decided to place the eve of the event in 14th century, the wonderful Tarlati eve.
In the meantime the land of the city was shared in 4 quarters, as well as it was in 1300.
Porta Crocifera took the sector given to Porta Burgi, it changed its name in Porta Crucifera and got the colours red and green by leaving the white and green to the new born Porta Sant Andrea. Port Santo Spirito achieved the Saione too and maintained the colours Gold and blue. Porta Fori changed its name to Porta del Foro and maintained the colours red and yellow.
The dates
The joust is played twice a year in the most elegant square in Toscana: "Piazza Grande"; The first sunday of September is played the joust during the day and the third sunday of june the joust is played night time.
But the event lasts the whole day by starting by the blessing in the Cathedral, a historical parade along the city streets and parties at the end of the contest untile the early hourse of the day after.
