Other Festivals and Pastimes
Other Festivals and Pastimes |
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The Joust of the Four Seasons
La Giostra delle Quattro Stagioni
From 1838 to
1865 'The Joust of the Four Seasons' took place
in the 'Prato' Gardens. The rules were easy:
four young men which symbolized the four seasons stood on four different spots
of the track holding a crown of oak's leaves. There were then eight jousters who
had to run at full speed twice in order to take as many crowns as possible.
An
old traditional football game
Il
gioco del pallone col Bracciale
It was a highly competitive game - not much different from today's football - which was popular in the XVIIIth and XIXth century and was only abandoned when football became fashionable. It was played in the 'Prato' Gardens near the Cathedral until 1819 when a proper football pitch was built outside the walls between Porta Trento e Trieste and Porta Crucifera. It was rectangular in shape and had some terraces for the public on three sides.
Bull
Hunting
Caccia
al toro con i cani
In 1813, four years after the inauguration of the 'Prato' Gardens there was a a kind of bull-fight .
Hot Air Balloons
On special occasions there were shows of hot air balloons at the 'Prato' Gardens.