The Palio dei Micci

The first Sunday in May in Querceta is dedicated to the celebrations of the Palio dei Micci - "of the donkeys." A folkloric event-born in the 1950s-that sees the eight districts of Querceta compete in games and contests of skill. The event begins in the morning with a procession of more than 2,000 figures in historical costumes, musicians and flag-wavers through the streets of the town. The procession follows a set order, with the winning contrada of the previous edition at the head, followed by the other seven, and arrives at Matteotti Square where the blessing of the donkeys, jockeys and contradaioli is held. This is followed by other re-enactments of historical episodes that actually happened and interpreted by the individual contrade, and then the actual Palio, the Corsa dei Micci, begins. The race involves a donkey race along a course of about 2 km within a loop circuit. The winning contrada gets the Palio - a painted banner depicting the Holy Family on the run - which will be handed back during the following year's festivities.