The Palio of Ferrara Ferrara

The Palio of Ferrara is the most ancient one in the world and in addition to this is peculiar for its kind of ride that is joyful and so different from other warlike palii. In these last there are always enemy that you have to fight with the lance.
This is a very important moment for the city: all the Contrade participate wearing dress of different colours to gain the "palio", but also and over all, to make party and to remember the Renaissance, a period in which Ferrara was really a capital.
The rides take place the last Sunday of May as tribute to San Giorgio, but the real meaning of that particular date is to remember the famous edition of 1471, ride in honor of Borso who became duke of Ferrara. The chronicles and the statutes have handed down to us the four palii: the green one dedicated to San Paolo for the putte's ride, the red one of San Romano for the putti's ride, the white one dedicated to San Maurelio for the asine's ride and last but not least the yellow or golden one of San Giorgio for the horses' ride.
Opponents for the achievement of the palii are the four quarter that all have territory inside of the walls: San Benedetto (white-light blue), Santa Maria in Vado (yellow-violet), San Paolo (white-black), Santo Spirito (yellow-green) and the four village: San Giacomo (yellow-blue), San Giorgio (yellow-red), San Giovanni (red-blue) and San Luca (red-green).
There are also competitions of flag-wavers and musicians that represent the eight Contrade in seven different speciality: traditional single, traditional double, little team, big team, musicians and assignation of the "combinata" (sum of the best scores gained).