Buti’s Horse Race and Pontremoli’s Bonfires
Palio delle Contrade, Buti
The Buti horse race, or Palio di Buti, is a historic Italian medieval-style equestrian event held annually in January in the town of Buti, near Pisa, featuring the town's seven ‘contrade’ (districts) competing for a painted silk banner in a thrilling, bareback horse race along the main road, complete with historical parades and local traditions. It's one of Italy's oldest Palios, celebrating the feast day of Sant'Antonio Abate, the patron saint of animals, with blessing ceremonies, festive dinners, and medieval pageantry.
On the first Sunday of January after the Feast Day of Sant’Antonio Abate (January 17), the Palio delle Contrade takes place in Buti, one of Italy’s oldest palios. The first edition technically was in 1961, but the roots stretch back to the 17th century, when the local horse stalls received a blessing on January 17, during the celebrations of Sant’Antonio Abate, protector of animals.
The day of the Palio begins with a “Holy Mass of Horses” followed by a traditional tripe- and wine-based breakfast in the neighborhoods of the town. Midway through the morning, all of the districts parade through the town, reaching the Cathedral, where the horses who will run in the Palio are given a blessing. Around 2pm the races begin, and are carried out on a slightly uphill route that’s about 700 meters long. The race has three distinct segments called “batterie” – individual races in which the horses from the seven “contrade” (historic districts) compete divided in groups. The three winners will advance to the final.
In the days leading up to the Palio, in the parish churches that represent each historic district, a special mass followed by a dinner of traditional dishes takes place. Once the festivities get going, throughout all the town streets residents and visitors have the chance to try “trippa alla butese”, the traditional dish from Buti, prepared with beef tripe cooked with sausages, carrots, beans and tomato.
Pontremoli’s Bonfires
In the town of Pontremoli, The traditional Pontremoli bonfires for 2026 are scheduled for 17th and 31st of the month, with the smaller bonfire being lit on the 13th.
These events, known as the Disfida dei Falò (Challenge of the Bonfires), are an ancient rivalry between two local parishes. The Disfida dei Falò is a passionate competition where parishioners spend months gathering wood and dry brush to build the largest, most spectacular bonfire, sometimes reaching over 30 meters (nearly 100 feet) in height.
The event is steeped in medieval rivalry and ancient pagan fire rituals meant to invoke vitality against winter's chill, later adapted to honour Catholic patron saints.
