Palio della Vittoria

Every June 29 since 1441, the Palio della Vittoria has been held in Anghiari, commemorating and celebrating the victory of the Florentine troops and their allies over the Milanese troops of Filippo Maria Visconti in the Battle of Anghiari, which took place on June 29, 1440, and was also made famous by Leonardo da Vinci’s mysterious lost fresco in Palazzo Vecchio. 

The competition is one of the oldest Palio events in Italy involving a contest between municipalities, with an uphill foot race that symbolically starts from the Cappella della Vittoria (Chapel of Victory)—the site of the battle—and ends in Piazza Baldaccio after a climb of 4593 feet (1,400 meters).

Festivities kick off in the afternoon in Piazza Baldaccio with the arrival of soldiers, knights, paraders in historic dress, musicians and flag-throwers. Then at sunset comes what is sometimes referred to as the “craziest race in the world” where the athletes take off at breakneck speed, following a rulebook that allows them to get in each other’s way by pushing and even tackling.

The race ends with the proclamation of the winning municipality and a folk festival along the ancient walls of Anghiari, with a victory dinner and performances.