Historic rental house in Umbria Italy
exceptional accommodation
at bargain prices
2 br, 2 ba, sleeps 4
"The Games of the Gates"
("I Giochi de le Porte")
Annually, the last weekend in September
If you decide to come to Gualdo Tadino for the last weekend of September, you're in for a real treat. The biggest event of the year here is "I Giochi de le porte", "The Games of the Gates".
They say in Gualdo Tadino, "You're an ass if you don't go to the Festival of the Four Gates". But if you do go, you see many asses!
This Umbrian town has a three-day event in which asses are the stars.
The festival starts on the Friday of the last weekend in September every year and gets underway with ringing bells, rolling drums, and a procession of a thousand locals dressed in 15th century costumes that are lovingly created during the year.
On the first day, the asses, which are raised just for this occasion, drag carts around the more than 2,500 foot-long city walls.
There are flag-throwing, slingshot, bow-and-arrow, crossbow and other contests.
On the last day jockeys ride the asses bareback in a race.
The winner of the games ignites an effigy of a witch who supposedly betrayed Gualdo Tadino to its enemies in the legendary past.
Since the year 2000, the Porta San Donato team has won 6 out of the 9 years, including 2008!
During the festival, the town's population of 15,000 is more than doubled by visitors.
See Youtube videos of the "Games of the Gates"
(Turn off page background music at bottom of page before viewing video.)
