Ancestor Palio dei Normanni Piazza Armerina Enna Sicilia

ANCESTOR PALIO DEI NORMANNI PIAZZA ARMERINA ENNA SICILIA

The ancestor of the PalioLa cavalcade of Piazza heir to the Palio dei Bèrberi (or Barberi), anni ' 40. In recent months, during some research, I came across one that, IMHO, is the ancestor of the cavalcade of years 40/50 and Norman Palio which takes place each August along the streets, theatre square, piazza Duomo/Cathedral and at field Hippolytus sports in our city.

One of the most important historians of our city, the lawyer Alceste Roccella (1827-1908), in one of the 7 volumes of his history of Piazza, and specifically in the Third Volume churches and monasteries and institutes of Philanthropy in the square for Alceste Roccella, reminds us that his times in the second half of the nineteenth century, in the summer was held a horse race bèrberi.

These horses were from Barbéria, the name given in ancient times to North Africa because inhabited by people of the Barberi, and were known since ancient times for their strength and speed.
The Roccella does not state nor the day of the race, which took the name "Palio dei Barberi or Bèrberi, nor the coming (maybe to Constantine or Scarante), but tells us that the departure took place from Commenda di San Giacomo of Altopascio, ahead of today's entrance the main Cemetery of Badami.
That's why I have to believe that the Palio takes place on 25 July, the feast of Saint James the apostle.
The main features of these races were three. The ride was rectilinear purely, so it reached high speeds; was crossed dangerously the town from North to South without containment barriers on the sides of the path; initially the horses ran "shaken", IE without jockeys, later it was decided to mount them, but without the aid of saddles, "sleeping bag" (as pictured).

This kind of racing accounted for the major part of local festivals in many Italian cities, the most famous is the one that takes place twice a year in Siena, but he turns even in nearby Calascibetta and last year took place on 3 September for the feast to our Lady of Angeles. Another close to us was that of Caltagirone, which left from the forecourt of the convent of San Francesco di Paola and had the nice feature that were distributed before the confetti to gentlewomen and gentlemen citizens and foreigners.