Crossbow Palio

The town of Sansepolcro is also famous for its crossbows, an ancient and traditional weapon of the Middle Ages and of particular precision. Well, since the 15th century (if not earlier) a competition has been going on that features the crossbow as its protagonist.

Every year in fact, uninterruptedly since as far back as 1594, the Palio della Balestra is held every second Sunday in September in Sansepolcro. In the splendid setting of the Torre di Berta Square, 160 crossbowmen from the rival cities of Sansepolcro and Gubbio compete as they did in the Renaissance.

An’80 or so Crossbowmen take turns on the shooting benches to hit with their Verrette the bullet of the corniolo, the exact center of the target.

All this history and tradition you can admire on the day of the palio but also inside the headquarters of the Sansepolcro Crossbowmen.