In order to remember and celebrate the donation of Feltre to Venice, a public decree established that in the following years, on 15 August, a procession of all the orders of the city would take place and a Palio of 15 gold ducats would be run.
The Palio that has been held in Feltre since 1979 every first Sunday in August is meant to commemorate this very event. The palio is transformed into a leap back in time that recreates the 15th-century atmosphere thanks to the marvellous choreography studied down to the smallest detail, the result of scrupulous philological reconstruction.
The pomp and circumstance of the costumes of the procession of nobles and ladies that, on Sunday morning, leads from the 16th-century imperial gate along Largo Castaldi to the cathedral forecourt to attend the Holy Mass and in the afternoon along Via Mezzaterra and Piazza Maggiore to the final competitions until the proclamation of the winning quarter.
The city's four quarters compete in the Prà del Moro arena in the tug-of-war and horse race, earning valuable points that, added to those obtained in the relay race and archery, will determine the new holder of the fifteen-ducat banner.
The celebrations begin on Friday with the dinners of the quarters that bring together hundreds of contradaioli who have come to support their quarter.
