“Palio dei barchini” – The “punt with wheels” race | Castelfranco di Sotto

A unique palio has been held in Castelfranco di Sotto for 38 years. The race is scheduled on Sunday 26 May: from 8.00 a.m. the Historical Parade and from 3.30 p.m. the barchini races in Piazza Garibaldi.

The palio is preceded by a week of events:

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9:00 p.m., free practice for boatmen on the race circuit

Thursday from 7:00 p.m., technical checks on the boats at the Orto di San Matteo

Friday from 8.30pm the districts gather at the doors for Holy Mass in the Church for the blessing of the boats, with performances and flag throwers of the four districts and the presentation of the boatmen.

Saturday from 7:30 a.m. technical checks of the boats in Piazza Remo Bertoncini and from 6:00 p.m. free practice on the circuit in Piazza Garibaldi. As per tradition, each district organizes a dinner on the eve of the race, a night of great celebration in their headquarters.

Sunday is race day. In the morning, there will be a historical parade starting at 10:00 a.m. through the streets of the town, with each district parading with a group of drummers, flag throwers, flag bearers with ladies, knights, and historical figures, with each district presenting a specific theme. From 3:30 p.m. in Piazza Garibaldi, the races: qualifiers – 24th mini palio – 18th palio rosa – 39th palio.

Please note: on June 13, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary, a special night-time edition.

See programme on page

The aim of the palio is to revive, in a playful way, with a race that is very much felt by the contradaioli, the daily labours of the renaioli, who for centuries dredged the Arno to obtain the sand with which new buildings were constructed. The rowers have to complete three laps around the square on three-and-a-half metre-long, flat-bottomed boats, following a route marked out by bales of hay. There are four districts competing for the coveted ‘cencio’, painted each year by a different artist: San Michele in Caprugnana, San Martino in Catiana, San Bartolomeo in Paterno and San Pietro in Vigesimo. They represent the four villages that were originally built around the medieval castle.