AREZZO and the Merry-go-round of the

The Merry-go-round of the Saracino ("Merry-go-round to burattum") is an ancient chivalrous game that, as exercise of military training, sinks its roots in the Middle Age and calls the secular struggle sustained by the western Christianity to contain the Moslem advance back.
Often disputed to Arezzo between Five hundred and the end of Six hundred (when memorable Baroque merry-go-rounds were organized), the tournament it develops for the whole age Modern important social functions in breast to the urban community. You jousts in fact is on the occasion of the visit of great personalities (ruling, principles), both to solemnize particular civil (carnival, marriages) recurrences.
The Merry-go-round - that from the beginning of Six hundred it is a peculiarity aretina - ten during the XVIII century up to disappear entirely, at least in his/her more version "noble." After a vivacious folksy resumption among Seven and Eight hundred, a new disappearance after 1810 and a fleeting apparition in 1904 on the wake of the revaluation of the Middle Age operated by the romantic movement, the Merry-go-round is firmly restored in 1931, in form of historical rievocazione ambientata in the XIV century, also assuming quickly an authentic competitive character.
The demonstration, that this year reaches the 111.ma and 112.ma edition of the contemporary epoch, develops him every year to Arezzo on next to last Saturdays of June in nighttime (Merry-go-round of St. Donato, patron of the city) and the first Sunday of September in the afternoon (Merry-go-round of September).
They are protagonists of it the four ancient districts of the city: Crucifera (you green and red) brings, Hands some Hole (you yellow and crimson), Porta Sant'Andrea (you white and green) and Door of the Suburb, today Door Saint Spirit (you yellow and blue).
The Merry-go-round of the Saracino is organized by the Commune of Arezzo through a special Institution, but in the organ of government (Board of directors), presided by the Mayor, they are present also the Rectors of the Districts.
The day Giostresca opens to the morning with the reading of the proclamation from the herald and continues with a many colored historical procession that lines up for the streets of the city 350 showing up in fourteenth-century custom and 27 horses; salient moment of the procession is the benediction of the armed ones on the stairways of the Cathedral from the Bishop of Arezzo.
The chivalrous tournament that develops him in the precious frame of Great Plaza, to the orders of the Teacher of Field it opens with the entry in plaza, to the sound of trumpets and drums, of the historical procession, bringing the ancient gonfalonis of the city.
The salient moments of this phase are the entry of the maximum Authorities of the Merry-go-round (Magistracy, Jury, Rectors of the Districts), the exhibition of the Sbandieratoris, the entry to the gallop of the giostratoris, the line up on the list of the riders of lineage, representatives the ancient nobility aretina, the reading from the herald of the Challenge of Sieve (a poetic composition in three octaves going up again to the XVII century), the regard of balestrieri and armigeri to the cry of "Arezzo", the authorization of the Magistracy to race merry-go-round, the execution of the hymn of the Saracino - work of the composer Giuseppe Pietri (1886-1946) - from the Group Musici.
It begins then the real competition: the four giostratoris "handed" - true protagonists of the demonstration - they throw him to the gallop, lance in it stays, against the Saracino, an armored automaton, that a Saracen represents armed with mazzafrusto ("Sieve, King of Indies"), according to the order of the careers established for drawing the antecedent week the merry-go-round during a ceremony in custom in Plaza of the Commune. Numerous the unforeseen event determined by the ability, from the courage and from the fortune of the eight giostratoris that you/they alternate him on the footstep of beaten earth and in light slope ("list"), that ransom diagonally Great Plaza. It wins the competition the couple of riders that, in to strike the shield of the Saracino (what he/she introduces varying scores among one and five), it achieves the most elevated result; to their District it goes to prize aspired him gold lance. In case of parity among two or more Districts after the ordinary (two series, one for every giostratores) careers, to award the trophy him applies to one or more careers than difference. At the end hits of mortar you/they are shot in honor of the winning District.

The rules of the tournament, contained in a "technical rule" that it proposes, almost unchanged, the Chapters for the Merry-go-round of Sieve going up again to 1677, they are of easy understanding, but at the time same men to be guaranteed one prolonged suspence. The result of the clash among the Christian riders and "the infidel" it stays uncertain up to the last moment, because of the frequent sensations, that go from the disqualification of the giostratore (in case of gone out of the list) to the doubling of the score (in case of breakup of the lance in the violent impact with the Saracino).