The "Giostra dell`Orso" is an equestrian tournament whose protagonists are the four districts the city is divided into. The joust is held in Piazza del Duomo, in the shade of the cathedral of San Zeno and Palazzo Pretorio, of the tower of Catilina and the Baptistery, on July 25th, when the natives celebrate San Jacopo, Pistoia`s patron saint.

What are the origins of this particular "palio"?

In the past bears inhabited the forests around Orsigna, a small village consisting in some houses and a handful of cottages that have been transformed into Tuscan holiday farms, which explains why this wonderful mammal is reproduced on Pistoia`s coat of arms.

Actually that explains above all the origin of the "Giostra dell`Orso" ("orso" is the Italian word for bear), which in the mid-20th century substituted the ancient "palio dei berberi", a joust that was held in Pistoia until the early 20th century before being suspended due to the two world wars.

What are rules of the Giostra?

They are quite simple: after having galloped for two laps, two jousters representing two different districts have to strike a target shaped like a bear. The first jouster who strikes the paw of the bear gains two points; the second gains one point. No points are given to the jousters who do not strike the target. Obviously, the district with the highest score at the end of the 18 legs wins the "Giostra dell`Orso". And the jouster with the highest score is proclaimed "Cavaliere Speron d`Oro".