2026 Programme
to the Caccia del Toro 2026
Sunday 23 August 2026 · 5:00 PM · Piazza Plebiscito → "Serenella Baglioni" Sports Field
Supported by Gold Sponsors
All the Appointments
Fourteen days of historical re-enactment, from 10 to 23 August 2026. Each terziere opens its own programme of events with re-enactments, Renaissance fairs, theatrical performances, processions and ceremonies. The closing act is the Caccia del Toro on Sunday 23 August: the historic archery contest preceded by a historical procession of over eight hundred performers.
No events scheduled for this terziere.
Coro Cutty Sark Singers — "A musical journey"
Renaissance and Contemporary Music Concert
Terziere Casalino
The Art Workshop — "Scenes of daily life in the Vannucci house"
Theatrical Performance
Terziere Casalino
Night of the Barbacane — "Time of Life"
Historical Re-enactment
Terziere Casalino
Night of the Barbacane — "Time of War"
Historical Re-enactment
€3 · sold only in via Vannucci on the evening of the event
Terziere Castello
The Town Crier's Proclamation and San Rocco Fair
Workshops, ancient crafts, roving performances
Terziere Castello
San Rocco Fair
Workshops, ancient crafts, roving performances
Challenge Throwing among Terzieri
Official Palio opening ceremony
Grandstand €7 · Standing €4
Terziere Castello
Feast in honour of Patron San Rocco
Performance and jugglers of the Terziere
Grandstand €12 · Standing €4
Polifonica Pievese — "Torno alla Pieve"
Concert of Renaissance songs and music inspired by Città della Pieve
Food and Banquets in Perugino's Time
Renaissance Dinner
Terziere Borgo Dentro
Renaissance Fair
Games and performances
Terziere Borgo Dentro
The Town Crier's Proclamation
Terziere Borgo Dentro
Sgherri di Balìa — "The dark guardians of Bandino, blades and fury of the Renaissance"
Master-at-Arms Carousel
Terziere Borgo Dentro
De Burgi Gaudio — Renaissance Fair
Games and performances
Terziere Borgo Dentro
Compagnia dell'Orca — "Keep Calm (still time)"
Theatrical Performance
Terziere Borgo Dentro
The Heartbeat of the Borgo
Drum and Flag-throwers Performance
Ludi Iuvenales
Folk games among the youth of the Terzieri
Fluorescent Flags
Performance by the Flag-throwers and Musicians of Città della Pieve
Single price €7
Historical Procession and Caccia del Toro
Over eight hundred performers accompany the archers to the Field of Games
Yellow grandstand €10 (ages 4-12 €6) · Red and green grandstand €7 (ages 4-12 €4)
La Caccia del Toro
The Caccia del Toro is the bloodless re-enactment of the ancient hunts that took place in the Ghibelline city in Perugino's time. On the day of the Palio, after the historical procession that starts from Piazza Plebiscito and accompanies the archers to the Field of Games, the archery contest takes place.
The champions — three per Terziere — have three arrows each. The Drappo, a splendid work by the local master Antonio Marroni, depicts the archers paying homage to the master painter.
- The target is a Chianina bull silhouette, divided into 4 scoring zones
- The carousel is 33 metres from the archers
- Three rounds at increasing speed
- Three arrows per archer per round, 9 total per terziere
- Score: Head 15 pt, Body 9 pt, Flag 6 pt, Rear 3 pt
- The terziere with the highest score wins the Drappo
- In case of a tie: a tiebreaker with one arrow per archer
L'Infarinata
A furious flour battle, on the day of the Palio, involving townspeople and armed performers of the three Terzieri. It all began in 1977, when the Casalino paraded a Leonardo-inspired war machine.
The Catapult
The Terziere Casalino surprised everyone by parading the Catapult, a war machine of Leonardo-inspired design, drawn from the projects of the Codex Atlanticus. Its ammunition: chamber pots filled with rose-scented talcum powder.
The Reply
Faced with the superiority of the Terziere Casalino's catapult, the rivals had to answer the “fire” with the hand-thrown flour bags. Over the years the Casalino added a ballista, a steam cannon, a bombard, a whip and a giant cannon.
The Battle
Almost fifty years after the first launch, the Infarinata is one of the most anticipated moments of the Palio: a flour battle that involves all townspeople and the armed performers of the three Terzieri, on race day.
The medieval “calcina”. The talcum powder used as a projectile mimics the calcina, a war powder documented in chronicles from 1311 and described by Leonardo da Vinci himself in a letter to Ludovico il Moro.
Practical Info
How to Get Here
Città della Pieve is located in Umbria, along the SS71. A1 motorway, Chiusi-Chianciano Terme exit (20 km). By train: Chiusi-Chianciano Terme station.
Parking
Free parking available outside the town walls, just a few minutes' walk from the historic centre.
Tickets
Advance sales only at the Tourist Office – Info Point, Piazza G. Matteotti – La Rocca. On sale from 9 August, daily 10–13 and 16.30–18.30.
On show nights tickets are also sold on site: 15 August from 21.30 in Piazza Plebiscito, 22 August from 21.30 and 23 August from 16.00 at the Sports Field.
Email: [email protected] · Tel. 0578 298840