Calendimaggio di Assisi, an ancient small town festa with games, singing, and a queen of the May

Although we lived in Perugia for three months, 20 minutes from Assisi, and years earlier had spent a month touring Umbria, we had never been to Assisi, probably a reaction on my part to too many years of hearing the  nuns talk about St. Francis.  After  hearing  many rave reviews from friends, we dedided that Calendimaggio di Assisi was a good reason to make the trip.  Calendimaggio is a four day competition/festa that has been going on since medieval times, pitting "Parte di sopra" against "Parte di Sotto,"  the hill town against the valley dwellers below.  The origins of the festival have been "lost in the annals of time" according to the official website, but it is basically a celebration of the return of la primavera, spring.  The festa includes competitions of strength, singing competitions, and a lot of ceremonial processions in medieval costume, with many princesses and attendants , kings and queens, and pretty much everybody interested in dressing up, parading through the street to the piazza along with their courtiers and drum and bugle corps.  Parte di Sotto won for the third time in a row this year, meaning their princess was crownded queen of the may.

Marching into the piazza.  Both teams had their own drum
and bugle corps

The royal court processes to piazza 

The royal court for parte di sopra

Childrens band for Parte di Sotto

Even the horses (and kids)
dress up!

marching into the piazza

There was dancing in the streets

One of the 'feats of strength" involved men in tights pulling sledges

Unfortunately we could not stay for the crowning of the queen on the fourth day as we needed to head to Florence to meet a friend coming for a Tuscany tour, but we did have time to explore the town as well as attend the festa.  Assisi is, as reported by many, a beautiful little medieval town and, offseason, it wasn't too filled with tourists.  In fact, if you want to see a traditional festival but don't want to brave the crowds at the Palio in Sienna, Candlemaggio is an excellent choice.  No problem getting seats in the stands, mostly Italians watching the event and cheering on their team, and 4 euro porchetta and birra at the team canteen.  Perfetto!

Lots of narrow streets to explore

A view of the umbrian hills

Of course, the cathedral which is truly magnificent

If you are planning a tour of Umbria, include Assisi on your itinerary (unless it is July or August, the locals said you can't walk down the streets then because there are so many tourists).  I am proof that even an atheist can appreciate the home of San Francesco.