All Historical Reenactments in Lucca

Palio di San Paolino 2023 will take place on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, in the beautiful city of Lucca. Palio di San Paolino is a historical reenactment event dedicated to Saint Paulinus of Antioch, the patron saint of Lucca, held every year on July 12, in the main square of the city, Piazza San Martino.   SHORT HISTORY In 1169, during the war with Pisa, the government of Lucca, concerned about the constant assaults from the neighboring town, asked the old ally Genoa for help. To strengthen the defence of Lucca, Genoa sent a certain number of crossbowmen. In a relatively short time, the local soldiers became experts in handling the crossbow. In the 14th century, Castruccio Castracani delli Antelminelli, Lord of Lucca, introduced a prize to reward the strongest crossbowmen of the city. From that moment on, Palio di San Paolino was held regularly on the occasion of the main festivities of the city. The rules of the Palio were established by a document named ordo pro balistari, dated June 26, 1443, preserved today in the State Archive of Lucca. The document is the oldest regulation for an archery competition in Europe. On October 10, 1970, a group of Read more [...]