Arezzo had gradually whipped itself into a frenzy over the giostra that was to take place this saturday night. I had watched the various pageants parades and also watched as they constructed the jousting surface across the centre of Arezzo’s Piazza Maggiore.

Arezzo’s main squre is fairly unique as it is neither flat, nor rectangular and doesn’t really have a monument of major interest. So the physical engineering of creating a surface for somebody to run a horse along without risking himself, his ride or the spectators was interesting enough. The feat was accomplished using fairly simple methods, mud and various mud soaked materials were placed along a diagonal strip along what is the flattest part of the square. The track was around 5 metres wide and began in a sidestreet that fed into the bottom right hand corner of the square. Once the rider had completed his attempt he had to make a fairly tight left hand corner between the palazzo alomg the top end of the square and the church along the left hand side.

The joust had been reduced to a task of skill rather than a life or death situation. The rider would approach a dummy, which was sporting a target in place of a shield, the rider would attempt to strike the target in the centre, and would earn points for his team based on the accuracy of his efforts.

Ticket prices varied from 5 euro for standing room right up to 60 euro a ticket for the best seats located to the right of the dummy’s outstretched arm (i know i always like to spend time around dummies). Well i got the standing room ticket so i can rub shoulders with the locals,.. wise choice.

There were 4 teams battling for the prize of the golden jousting stick. These were named after the various Porte or gates to the city. During the last few days i had befreinded a young kid who had shaved the symbol of the region he supported into his hair and died every visible part of his body red or green. He supported porta crucifera, i purchased the appropriate red and green garb and headed off for a good nights jousting.

More fanfare and pageantry, including about 20 of the wonderful flag tossing dudes and we crammed ourselves into the square, the crowd was incredibly spritied and vocal. The event was reasonably well organised and each of the four teams supporters were allocated a section of the piazza to support from, i took up a good spot at the oustkirts of the porta crucifera supporters about 5 metres away from arch rivals santo spritio.

I doubt that they were as arch as some of the kids were making out, but there was very colorful exchanges of chants, most of which revolving around the other teams main rider and the virtues of his family and his abilities to satisfy a woman sexually.. if i am to believe some of the chants, the rider from sant andrea really has a tough time with the ladies….

The jousts begin with 3 rides from each team, after which the top 2 teams are left to battle it out for the prize with 2 final rides. Santo cricifera started well with a 4, but followed it up with two 3’s, this meant that we needed some serious fuzzes by the other teams … these didnt eventuate and the golden jousterama was held aloft by the riders and supporters of the green and white sant andrea after a quite triumphant victory.

There were tears, there were some great scuffles, there was a whole lot of pushing and shoving to the point were even i was lifted of the ground by the sheer swell of humanity pushing into our group of supporters…. a great time all round, even managed to get a punch in, much to the joy of my fellow cruciferi.