The medieval reenactment of the historic Palio dei Borghi of Avigliana returns, this year in its 43rd edition.
The first event of the Palio will be on Saturday, May 23rd at 8:00 pm in Piazza Conte Rosso with the Canapo Dinner: a grand banquet with three menus for adults, children, and vegetarians. The evening will feature shows and entertainment, with the dinner enlivened by dancing and spectacular performances. The evening concludes with the Madonna e Messere Palio 2026 competition.
The canoe regatta is scheduled for Saturday, June 13th, starting at 4:00 pm at the CVA Sailing Center on Corso Laghi 282: seven villages, one lake, one great challenge. The awards ceremony, supported by the Piedmont Regional Council, will conclude with a sumptuous aperitif offered by the Avigliana Pro Loco.
The final two days of the Palio take place on Saturday, June 20th and Sunday, June 21st, with parades, knight games, challenges, and horse races. On Saturday, the 20th, the village taverns will host a historical reenactment and medieval dances at the CGA field on Via Oronte Nota 3. This includes the traditional handing over of the keys to the City of Avigliana by the mayor to the Red Count, the opening of the Village Taverns of the Red Count's court, the drumming competition, the tug-of-war contest, the awards ceremony, and performances by the "Asti Buhurt Club" and "Belli...ssime" groups. The theatrical performance "Filippo di Savoia, Principe d'Acaja, che dalla Storia passò alla leggenda" (Filippo of Savoy, Prince of Acaja, who from History passed to Legend) will be performed in collaboration with the "La corte del Conte Rosso" Historical Group, which depicts Valentina Visconti's nuptials. The performance, in collaboration with the "La Terra dei Cavalli" association, will conclude with a performance by the artists of the Carro delle illusioni (Carriage of Illusions).
The final and most important event is scheduled for Sunday, June 21st at 4:00 PM with a detailed program: at 3:00 PM, the historical parade will depart from Piazza del Popolo; at 4:00 PM, it will arrive and parade at the Palio field; at 5:00 PM, there will be an archery competition, a show by the flag-wavers and musicians of Avigliana, the "Land of Horses" carousel-race, and finally, the awarding of the Palio with the proclamation of the winning village. At approximately 8:00 PM, the parade will depart from the Palio field and head towards Piazza Conte Rosso, where the "At the Conte Rosso Banquet" dinner will be held. At approximately 10:15 PM, the parade will set off again towards Piazza del Popolo, passing through Via Porta Ferrata and Via Cavalieri di Vittorio Veneto, and at 11:00 PM it will arrive in Piazza del Popolo, where a final show will conclude the celebrations.
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