Calendimaggio 2027 – Medieval Spring Festival in Assisi

Calendimaggio 2027 is expected to take place from Wednesday, May 5, to Saturday, May 8, 2027, in Assisi, the historic Umbrian town built on the slopes of Mount Subasio. The dates follow the established scheduling rule used for the annual four-day festival.

For four days, the historic center becomes the setting for medieval processions, music, theatrical scenes, competitions, and ceremonies involving hundreds of local participants. Streets and squares are decorated with banners, shields, flags, flowers, torches, and other elements inspired by medieval Assisi.

At the center of the festival is the rivalry between the Nobilissima Parte de Sopra and the Magnifica Parte de Sotto, the two traditional divisions of Assisi. Each Parte prepares its own historical reconstructions, processions, costumes, music, performances, and competitive events throughout the year.

The objective is the Palio of Calendimaggio, awarded at the end of the festival after the performances of the two Parti are evaluated. The competition encompasses historical reconstruction, music, and theatrical presentation, transforming the festival into much more than a conventional medieval parade.

Calendimaggio draws on several layers of Assisi’s cultural history: ancient celebrations of spring, medieval May songs, the political divisions of the city during the fourteenth century, and a modern festival format established in 1954. These elements are combined within a carefully organized historical celebration involving much of the local community.

Unlike the religious festivals for which Assisi is internationally famous, Calendimaggio is fundamentally a secular celebration. Its subject is the arrival of spring and the medieval civic life of the town, although one religious ceremony, the traditional Blessing of the Banners, forms part of the opening day.
 

When Will Calendimaggio 2027 Take Place?

According to the official scheduling rule of the festival, Calendimaggio lasts four days and is normally held on the first Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of May, provided that the sequence does not include May 1. This rule places the 2027 festival between May 5 and May 8.

Each day has a different function within the competition. The sequence traditionally progresses from the opening ceremonies and medieval reconstructions to the election of Madonna Primavera, evening processions, historical parades, musical challenges, and finally the decision of the jury and presentation of the Palio.

The festival does not operate as a single continuous performance. Events occur at different times and in different areas of the historic center, while the streets belonging to the two Parti become important stages for historical scenes created specifically for each edition.

What Is the Schedule of Calendimaggio 2027?

Based on the established structure followed during recent editions, the festival is divided into four distinct days. Each combines formal ceremonies in Piazza del Comune with activities organized by the two factions elsewhere in Assisi, producing a gradual progression toward the final challenge on Saturday evening.

Wednesday, May 5, 2027

The first afternoon traditionally begins with the Blessing of the Banners. Parte de Sopra has its banners blessed at the Cathedral of San Rufino, while Parte de Sotto uses the Upper Basilica of San Francesco. This is the principal religious element within an otherwise secular festival.

The celebrations then move toward the center of Assisi. The ringing of the municipal bell announces the beginning of the public ceremonies, and the procession organized by the Ente Calendimaggio reaches Piazza del Comune, where representatives of both factions enter the main arena.

During the Consegna delle Chiavi, the mayor symbolically transfers the keys and authority of the city to the Maestro de Campo for the duration of the festival. The Palio won during the previous edition is also returned so that it can once again become the prize of the new competition.

The two Parti traditionally exchange their Bandi di Sfida, formal challenges in which irony and verbal provocation are directed at their rivals. Historical processions, flag-wavers, music, and ceremonial performances accompany the opening before one of the Parti presents its medieval-life reconstruction during the evening.

Thursday, May 6, 2027

Thursday is traditionally associated with the election of Madonna Primavera, one of the festival’s most distinctive figures. The two factions gather in Piazza del Comune and compete through three games designed to test strength, accuracy, and coordination.

The contests are crossbow shooting, tug-of-war, and the corsa delle tregge, a race involving traditional wooden sledges. The Parte that wins at least two of these three competitions earns the right to choose Madonna Primavera from among its five candidates.

Once the result is established, the chosen Madonna Primavera is formally presented and takes part in a procession. The event combines the symbolic image of the queen of spring with the competitive structure that defines the relationship between the two factions throughout Calendimaggio.

During the evening, another reconstruction of medieval life traditionally takes place in the streets belonging to one of the Parti. Buildings, courtyards, alleys, workshops, and temporary settings are incorporated into theatrical scenes inspired by medieval society, with local residents participating as performers.

Friday, May 7, 2027

Friday generally introduces a different dimension of the festival. Recent editions have included Calendimaggio dei Piccoli, an afternoon event involving younger participants and allowing children to become part of the traditions maintained by the two factions.

The principal evening event is traditionally the Corteo della Sera, known as La Tenzone. The nighttime setting changes the appearance of Assisi, with historical costumes, banners, music, fire, and carefully staged processions moving through the streets and into the central square.

The evening procession is not simply a display of costumes. Each Parte creates a coherent historical and theatrical presentation, using choreography, characters, music, lighting, scenography, and narrative elements intended to support the overall performance later assessed by the festival jury.

Night is particularly important to Calendimaggio because artificial modern lighting is reduced or controlled in parts of the historical reconstruction. Torches and firelight help transform stone streets, arches, staircases, and façades into the setting for the medieval scenes prepared by the participants.

Saturday, May 8, 2027

Saturday is traditionally the decisive day of the competition. During the afternoon, the two factions present their major historical processions, displaying costumes, characters, heraldic symbols, musicians, soldiers, nobles, common people, and other figures inspired by medieval culture.

The processions are designed around historical themes chosen and developed by each Parte. Costumes and staging are prepared through months of work involving tailors, musicians, historians, craftspeople, performers, and technical teams, making the final parade the visible result of extensive community preparation.

The final evening focuses on the singing competition, one of the most characteristic components of Calendimaggio. Choral traditions are fundamental to the festival’s identity and connect its modern format with the older May songs historically performed in Assisi.

After the final performances, the jury evaluates the competing Parti from the perspectives of history, music, and theatrical presentation. The verdict is announced in Piazza del Comune, and the winning faction receives the Palio, which it keeps until returning it during the following year’s opening ceremony.
 

Where Will Calendimaggio 2027 Take Place?

Calendimaggio takes place throughout the historic center of Assisi, rather than within a single enclosed festival ground. Piazza del Comune is the ceremonial center, but processions, performances, medieval scenes, and faction activities extend into churches, squares, streets, alleys, and neighborhoods across the old town.

This distributed format is fundamental to the event. Medieval Assisi itself provides the architecture for the performances, allowing participants to use stone houses, gateways, stairways, arches, courtyards, and narrow streets rather than constructing an entirely artificial historical environment.

About Assisi

Assisi is located in central Umbria, in the Province of Perugia. The historic town occupies the western slopes of Mount Subasio at approximately 424 meters above sea level, overlooking the broad Valle Umbra that extends southward through the central part of the region.

Mount Subasio rises immediately behind the town and reaches approximately 1,290 meters above sea level. Its rounded limestone massif is separated from the main Apennine ridge and dominates the landscape between the Valle Umbra, the Tescio Valley to the north, and the Topino Valley to the east.

The entire historic center lies within the Mount Subasio Regional Park, connecting Assisi directly with a protected natural landscape of forests, olive groves, high meadows, springs, limestone formations, and characteristic karst depressions locally known as mortari.

The city faces largely south and southwest toward the plain. This hillside position produces steep streets, terraces, stairways, and changing elevations throughout the historic center. It also provides wide views over the Umbrian Valley, particularly from Santa Chiara, Rocca Maggiore, and several elevated streets near the city walls.

Much of Assisi is built using the characteristic pink and white limestone of Mount Subasio. The material gives churches, palaces, houses, and defensive structures a visual consistency that becomes especially noticeable during Calendimaggio, when temporary medieval decorations are inserted into the existing stone urban landscape.

Assisi is geographically close to many important destinations in Umbria. Spello lies southeast, while Perugia is northwest across the valley. Foligno, Bevagna, Montefalco, Spoleto, and Lake Trasimeno can also be reached relatively easily, making Assisi a practical base for exploring central Umbria.

The historic center, the Basilica of San Francesco, and other Franciscan sites have formed a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The designation recognizes both the architectural importance of Assisi and its exceptional influence on art, religion, and cultural history.

What Are the Venues of Calendimaggio 2027?

The principal venue is Piazza del Comune, the civic center of Assisi. The square occupies the area of the ancient Roman forum and is surrounded by buildings representing different phases of the city’s history, including the Temple of Minerva, Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Torre del Popolo, and Palazzo dei Priori.

Most of the major public ceremonies take place here. The Consegna delle Chiavi, the entrance of the processions, Madonna Primavera competitions, historical parades, musical challenges, and the final awarding of the Palio traditionally use Piazza del Comune as their principal stage.

The Cathedral of San Rufino is another important festival location. Parte de Sopra traditionally begins the event there with the blessing of its banners. The Romanesque cathedral stands in the upper section of the historic center, within territory historically associated with the upper faction.

Parte de Sotto traditionally has its banners blessed in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco. The basilica complex occupies the western end of Assisi and forms one of the city’s most important architectural landmarks, within the lower section traditionally associated with Parte de Sotto.

Piazza Santa Chiara also forms part of the ceremonial routes. Processions pass through the square and nearby streets, connecting different sections of the historic center. Corso Mazzini, which links Santa Chiara with Piazza del Comune, becomes one of the important movement corridors during the festival.

The most immersive performances take place within the neighborhoods of the two Parti. Narrow streets and courtyards are temporarily transformed into reconstructed medieval environments populated by artisans, merchants, nobles, guards, musicians, servants, and other characters appropriate to the scenes prepared for that edition.

Parte de Sopra traditionally incorporates districts including Porta Perlici, San Rufino, and Mojano, while Parte de Sotto includes areas associated with Porta San Giacomo, Porta San Francesco, and Porta San Pietro. Their different territories reinforce the geographical basis of the competition.

For visitors, this means Calendimaggio cannot be understood only from Piazza del Comune. The festival deliberately uses Assisi itself as its stage, linking public competition in the principal square with smaller-scale performances and historical environments embedded within the urban fabric.
 

A Short History of Calendimaggio

Calendimaggio combines traditions from very different historical periods. Its deepest layer is the celebration of the arrival of spring, followed by medieval songs and civic traditions, the factional history of Assisi, a twentieth-century revival, and the competitive festival created in its present form in 1954.

Pagan Origins

The term Calendimaggio refers to the beginning of May and derives from the concept of the Calends of May, the first day of the month. Across European folklore, the opening of May became associated with vegetation, flowers, fertility, seasonal renewal, music, and communal celebrations.

The traditional history of the Assisi festival links its earliest inspiration to ancient Umbrian spring customs. These celebrations marked the return of favorable weather and the renewal of the natural cycle after winter, involving singing, dancing, wine, poetry, and communal festivities.

Comparable May traditions developed widely across Europe. Green branches, flowers, dances, seasonal songs, and symbolic figures representing spring appear in many regional customs. The surviving Assisi tradition belongs to this broader European culture of May celebrations, although its present form developed much later.

Roman celebrations also marked the spring season. The Floralia, held between late April and early May in honor of Flora, celebrated flowering and agricultural fertility. However, the documented historical identity of the Assisi festival primarily emphasizes Umbrian and medieval traditions, rather than claiming direct continuity from a single Roman ceremony.

The Christian Influence

Spring customs remained active after Christianity became established in central Italy. In medieval Assisi, May celebrations coexisted with the city’s deeply Christian culture, and references connected with the youth of Saint Francis of Assisi describe an environment in which songs, poetry, and communal festivities remained important.

Medieval sources and later historical traditions recall groups of young people travelling between neighborhoods to perform “May songs”, compositions associated with the beginning of the month. French and Provençal musical influence was significant in the culture of the period and helped shape the forms of secular song performed in medieval communities.

Calendimaggio should therefore not be understood as a religious feast transformed from a pagan ceremony. Its modern organization explicitly defines it as a secular festival, while the Blessing of the Banners remains the exceptional religious moment linking the two competing factions with major churches in Assisi.

The interaction between secular and religious culture is characteristic of medieval Assisi. Music, poetry, urban celebration, civic rivalry, churches, monasteries, markets, and political institutions existed within the same compact town, providing much of the historical environment reconstructed by the modern festival.

Medieval Rivalries in Assisi

At the beginning of the fourteenth century, Assisi experienced an important period of urban and artistic development. The city expanded its fortifications, controlled surrounding castles, and contained churches decorated by Giotto, Cimabue, Simone Martini, and Pietro Lorenzetti, among other major medieval artists.

The same period was characterized by political conflict. Assisi became divided between Parte de Sotto and Parte de Sopra, associated respectively with the rival Fiumi and Nepis families. Their competition for control of the city formed part of the wider political struggles affecting Italian communes.

These conflicts were connected with the broader environment of Guelph and Ghibelline rivalry, but the history of the two Assisi factions was complex and should not be reduced to a permanent one-to-one identification of each Parte with a single political camp.

One of the earliest particularly violent clashes recorded in the festival’s historical tradition occurred on November 14, 1376, when Parte de Sotto attacked its rivals. The episode belonged to a long sequence of confrontations in which temporary victories were repeatedly followed by retaliation.

Despite periods of civic violence, the May celebrations continued. During spring, music and serenades temporarily replaced armed confrontation, young people gathered in streets and squares, and a King of the Festival was traditionally elected. These customs survived for centuries in changing forms.

The present Calendimaggio deliberately transforms this history into a nonviolent cultural competition. Instead of fighting for political control, the two Parti compete through historical research, music, theater, costume, craftsmanship, processions, games, and collective performance.

The Festival Through Modern History

The modern revival began in 1927, when Arnaldo Fortini, then the head of the municipal administration, promoted a spring celebration inspired by older traditions. Singers representing different local groups gathered to perform serenades and songs modeled on the historical customs associated with May.

The celebrations were interrupted during World War II and resumed in 1947. The decisive transformation occurred in 1954, when local intellectuals and organizers developed a new structure based on competition between the two historical divisions of the city.

The 1954 edition is therefore regarded as the beginning of Calendimaggio in the form recognizable today. The competition incorporated medieval costumes, historical processions, music, theatrical reconstructions, and the contest for the Palio, with widespread participation from residents.

In 1955, the two factions adopted the formal titles still used today: Nobilissima Parte de Sopra and Magnifica Parte de Sotto. Their organizations progressively developed specialized sectors responsible for costumes, music, scenography, technical work, historical processions, and other components of the festival.

The Ente Calendimaggio di Assisi was formally established in 1988 to manage and organize the event. Together with the two Parte associations, it provides the institutional framework through which the complex annual preparations and four days of competition are coordinated.

Calendimaggio today remains notable for the scale of its local participation. Much of the work occurs long before visitors arrive: costumes must be produced and maintained, musical programs rehearsed, scenes researched, props built, processions designed, and historical environments prepared inside the neighborhoods.

Beyond Calendimaggio 2027

Calendimaggio occupies much of the historic center during its four days, but Assisi contains monuments ranging from Roman remains to medieval fortifications and major Franciscan sanctuaries. Visitors spending additional time in the city can explore these sites while also using Assisi as a base for day trips across Umbria.

The surrounding landscape provides an important contrast to the crowded festival streets. Mount Subasio rises immediately behind the town, while olive groves descend toward the Valle Umbra. Hiking routes connect Assisi with woodlands, hermitages, mountain meadows, and nearby Spello.

What to Visit in Assisi

The Basilica of San Francesco is the city’s most internationally significant monument. The complex consists of an Upper and Lower Basilica, with the tomb of Saint Francis in the crypt. Its decoration includes major medieval fresco cycles associated with artists including Giotto and Cimabue.

Piazza del Comune deserves a separate visit outside the festival ceremonies. Beneath the square lies the Roman Forum, while the ancient Temple of Minerva survives above ground with its classical façade incorporated into the later Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

The Cathedral of San Rufino has an important Romanesque façade distinguished by three rose windows and sculptural decoration. Its baptismal font is traditionally associated with both Saint Francis and Saint Clare, while archaeological remains beneath and around the cathedral preserve earlier phases of the site.

At the eastern side of the center, the Basilica of Santa Chiara is dedicated to Saint Clare of Assisi. The church contains her remains and preserves the original San Damiano Crucifix. Its piazza also provides extensive views across the Valle Umbra.

Above the historic center stands Rocca Maggiore, the principal medieval fortress of Assisi. Its elevated position provides a clear understanding of the geography of the town, the city walls, Mount Subasio, and the plains extending toward Perugia, Bevagna, and the surrounding Umbrian countryside.

Outside the walls, San Damiano occupies a quieter position among olive groves below the town. The sanctuary is closely connected with both Francis and Clare and offers a substantially different setting from the monumental churches concentrated within the urban center.

Higher on Mount Subasio lies the Eremo delle Carceri, a Franciscan hermitage surrounded by woodland. The complex developed around caves and small religious structures used for prayer and retreat and can be combined with walks through the Mount Subasio landscape.

In the plain below Assisi, the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli encloses the small Porziuncola chapel, one of the fundamental sites in Franciscan history. The vast basilica also incorporates the Cappella del Transito, associated with the death of Saint Francis in 1226.

Nearby Cities and Day Trips

Spello is one of the closest destinations to Assisi, standing on the southern slopes of Mount Subasio. Its historic center preserves Roman gates, medieval streets, churches, and the Cappella Baglioni, while a 13.5-kilometer hiking route connects Assisi and Spello across the mountain slopes.

To the northwest, Perugia offers a very different urban experience. The regional capital combines Etruscan remains, medieval streets, major civic architecture, museums, and the monumental Piazza IV Novembre, making it one of the easiest larger cities to combine with a stay in Assisi.

Bevagna and Montefalco can be combined in the same part of the Valle Umbra. Bevagna preserves a compact medieval center and important Roman remains, while hilltop Montefalco is closely associated with Umbrian painting and the Sagrantino wine-growing territory.

Farther south, Spoleto combines Roman, medieval, and Renaissance architecture beneath the slopes of the Apennines. Its principal monuments include the cathedral, Roman theater, Rocca Albornoziana, and Ponte delle Torri, making the city suitable for a full-day excursion.

Another option is Lake Trasimeno, west of Perugia. The largest lake in central Italy provides a landscape of water, hills, historic towns, and islands that contrasts strongly with the stone-built hill towns of the central Umbrian valleys.

For visitors who prefer nature to another city, Mount Subasio can itself become a day trip. Marked routes cross forests and high meadows and reach viewpoints, karst formations, historic springs, small mountain churches, and routes toward Spello and other settlements around the massif.

What to Eat

One of the most characteristic foods of Assisi and Umbria is torta al testo, a round flatbread traditionally cooked on a heated disk known as a testo. It can accompany a meal or be split and filled with cured meats, cheeses, sausages, cooked greens, or other ingredients.

Truffles are another important part of local cuisine. Restaurants around Assisi commonly use them with pasta, eggs, meats, and other simple preparations designed to emphasize their aroma. Truffles are one of the products most strongly associated with Umbrian food culture.

The hills around Assisi produce important extra virgin olive oil. The town lies within the Assisi-Spoleto Olive Belt, where the Moraiolo variety is particularly significant. DOP Umbria Colli Assisi-Spoleto oil is characteristically fruity, with bitter and slightly spicy notes.

Assisi also has its own DOC wine area, with vineyards located on hills around the foot of Mount Subasio. Approved styles include white, Grechetto, red, rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Nero, among other regulated types.

For dessert, rocciata is particularly associated with Assisi, Foligno, and surrounding areas. The rolled pastry traditionally contains apples and dried fruit, with recipes varying according to family and locality and sometimes incorporating cocoa, cinnamon, figs, pine nuts, or Alchermes.

Another local sweet is mostaccioli, diamond-shaped biscuits made with simple ingredients including bread dough, honey, almonds, and grape must. Assisi tradition connects them with Jacopa de’ Settesoli and Saint Francis, giving the biscuits a particularly strong association with the city.

Visitors may also encounter pancaciato, or pan nociato, a savory bread containing cheese, walnuts, and pepper. Together with torta al testo, local olive oil, wines, truffles, and traditional sweets, it reflects the agricultural and domestic cooking traditions of central Umbria.
 

Frequently Asked Questions about Calendimaggio 2027

When will Calendimaggio 2027 take place?

Calendimaggio 2027 is expected to take place from Wednesday, May 5, to Saturday, May 8, 2027, following the festival’s established four-day scheduling rule.

Where is Calendimaggio held in Assisi?

The festival takes place throughout Assisi’s historic center, with major ceremonies in Piazza del Comune and additional events in churches, streets, squares, and the neighborhoods of the two Parti.

What are the two factions of Calendimaggio?

The competition is between the Nobilissima Parte de Sopra and the Magnifica Parte de Sotto, the two traditional divisions of Assisi that prepare separate performances and historical reconstructions.

What is the Palio of Calendimaggio?

The Palio is the prize awarded to the winning Parte after the jury evaluates the historical, musical, theatrical, and overall artistic performance of both factions.

What is Madonna Primavera?

Madonna Primavera is the symbolic queen of spring elected during the festival. The winning Parte in the traditional games earns the right to select her from among its candidates.

Are there medieval games during Calendimaggio?

Yes. Traditional competitions include crossbow shooting, tug-of-war, and the corsa delle tregge, which help determine which Parte wins the right to elect Madonna Primavera.

What else can visitors do in Assisi during Calendimaggio?

Visitors can explore the Basilica of San Francesco, Santa Chiara, San Rufino, Rocca Maggiore, San Damiano, Eremo delle Carceri, and the Mount Subasio landscape.