Every first Sunday of September, to conclude the frenetic Pacentrana summer, the centuries-old tradition of the “Gypsy Race” is renewed.
The barefoot participants descend from the mountain to the Vella stream and still running, with their feet torn and injured by the stones and brambles, they climb up the streets of the town and reach the altar of the Madonna, where they collapse exhausted.
The quintessential tradition of Pacentro, unique in its kind, mixes peculiarities that recall the sacred and the profane.
The race, which often leaves the runners injured and very tired, ends with the dressings near the altar, and the proclamation of the winner, who receives the symbolic Palio, a fabric that was used long ago to sew the “dress Good”.
The gypsies, a Pacentral dialect term indicating “people with few rags on”, strictly barefoot, throw themselves headlong from the “Pietra Spaccata” onto the steep paths of Colle Ardinghi and, after crossing the Vella river, face the tiring climb to arriving in the historic center in the Church of the Madonna di Loreto, the finish line of the Race, suffering quite a few wounds to his feet.
Local young people run a spectacular barefoot race called the “Race of the Gypsies” from the top of a rocky ridge. The uncertain origins of this tradition justify the research of many historians who attribute often conflicting meanings to the Gypsy Race.
An event of faith and tradition, whose history is over two hundred years long, the Gypsy Race is one of the unmissable events of Pacentro, a sort of “running marathon” which is run by the men of the town in honor of the Madonna of Loreto, whose celebration falls on the first Sunday of September.
Among the most accredited hypotheses are highlighted religious aspects, linked to the translation of the Holy House, military, for the recruitment of valid elements for the troops of Giacomo Caldora (medieval feudal lord of Pacentro) and socio-economic as a form of social and economic redemption.
For several decades, the old motivations of the participants have completely disappeared. Today, for the “Gypsies”, strictly Pacentrani, participating and, above all, winning the Gypsy Race promotes and nourishes that sense of belonging, rooted in every competitor, for their own country.
30 Participants
The protagonists of the race are local people, from Pacentro. Only 3 seats reserved for people from outside.
WHEN
This event generally takes place every year on the first Sunday of September
Free Event
For information, dates and events, visit the site indicated at the end of the article
The reported events may be subject to changes or cancellations.
It is always advisable to inquire in advance to confirm the event and the dates
Gypsy Race
Pacentro (L’Aquila)
Abruzzo – Italy
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