The Prior of Pila, Francesco Catini, still doesn’t believe it, two days after his contrada won the Palio dell’Assunta 2023. At the end of the literally dominated final, the biancoceleste river invaded the competition field and, with the usual colorful procession of choirs and flags, paraded along viale Mazzini to bring the Palio to the cathedral and dedicate it to the Virgin Mary, protector of the city. After dinner, the feast of Victory: in procession from the headquarters in via Brunforte to piazza del Popolo where, at their entrance, the citizens of the contrada sang ‘we are no longer the grandmother, with flowers on the diamond, a devastating Palio that cannot be forget. “We are devastating – Prior Catini’s first words as he took the stage with his arms raised to the sky – we are so many. An immense joy that I cannot describe, which I dedicate to my grandfather Giuseppe and I share with each contradaiolo because the victory is ours, of all of us”.
The people of the Mascherone had already crossed the streets of the city in recent days. “We walked along the entire race course spreading salt on it – continued ‘Ciccio’ Catini in office since 2016 – it must have been good because after so many years the Sardinian jockey Alessandro Fiori and Diamante Prezioso worked a miracle”. Contrada Pila didn’t start out favorably, but the heat of qualifying and the final were impeccable. “I am happy to have given victory to this district – the words of the jockey Alessandro Fiori – since my arrival in Fermo, they have given me unparalleled warmth. Special care also for the Diamante Prezioso horse housed in the Foro del Mascherone, the box of the district”. Of the 21 members of the Lazio board, only four were there to win the first edition of the Palio (1982, ed): “A dream come true: we never gave up – recalled the vice prioress Serena Scibè – like me almost entire board has grown without having remembered a victory, but united by faith to the contrada”.
On stage, the mayor Calcinaro visibly excited, even if the Pila is not the district to which he belongs, due to the surprising participation. With him the standard-bearer Fabrizio Marcaccio to also remember the first place in archery, a competition between flag-wavers and a U20 soccer tournament; the painter of the drape Michele Iorizzo; the racing group; the Tobra stable with Matteo, Mirco and Kety. The Palio dell’Assunta 2023 is stationed at the Mascherone fountain next to Porta Santa Caterina. The contradaioli are there to plant it and still celebrate with every car that passes and rings at their address because Pila’s victory is the victory of an entire city. The umpteenth chorus ‘how much is beautiful’ starts Tatu fortunello, bring the prize to via Brunforte and go back to commanding. “Francesco Paoloni, our ‘lucky one’ (the person in charge of fetching the horse, ed) – concluded Prior Catini – this year at the Tratta dei Barberi was next to me with a riding crop in his hand. We were unable to fish having remained, Pila, the last contrada to be combined with the horse: this too is a sign of destiny”.
Gaia Capponi
2023-08-18 04:25:37
#Pila #party #endless #district #won
