Sunday, August 19, 2012

Time Travelers to Renaissance Piegaro

Each August we look forward to seeing all our friends and neighbors transformed into Piegaro royalty in Renaissance costumes.  Sunday, August 12 was a very special time for Tom and me when we joined the Royal Corteo draped in velvet and pearls.  Days before the event our neighbor, Bruno, invited us to choose our own costumes and we got first pick from the Museo's collection!

Tom found some black tights to complete his ensemble and must admit I had never seen his legs look so great!  He looked like an angel getting ready in our bedroom just before the procession.

Everyone was talking about how hot it would be, but the day dawned cooler than usual, a blessing from the gods in charge of  Medieval festivals!  So the layers of velvet we donned weren't so stifling after all.  Joining the milling participants at the Museo, we were delighted to see some of our little friends dressed as courtly pages, squires and small ladies-in-waiting.  Tom joins Ascanio, his sister, Sofia, and Francesco before the procession begins.
Our good friends, Roberta, dressed as a Marquesa and Daniele, a notary, were just as excited as we were to be in this year's Corteo.  Tom and Daniele showed off their comely gams in black tights.



The excitement is palpable as the drummers practice and Maestra Liliana gathers the children of Piegaro together for their roles in the processione.

The drums roll, the Prince and Princess of Piegaro are lead by the children and we begin!


We all take our places behind the royal couple and their court jester and wind our way through every street of Piegaro as the drums reverberate between the stone walls of houses and ancient apartments.
We gather in the piazza for the Renaissance dancing performed by many of the local teens.



Watching the dancers and the fanfare of a medieval joust, we all wonder who will win the jousting event, the black or the white knight?  Every year it seems to be the same....how does that white knight win every time?

In just a few hours, our brief time as time travelers in Renaissance Piegaro comes to an end, and we return to our ordinary selves in an extra-ordinary village. And we go home dreaming of who will join Martina, Sofia and Giorgia next year!












No comments:

Post a Comment