Medieval May Festival in Assisi
(See FESTAtours for information on Calendimaggio tour.)
Since time immemorial, man has heralded the arrival of spring with ritual
and festivity. In Assisi, committees meet nightly for months to plan
the annual traditional salute to spring, the Calendimaggio.
The three-day festival - which lasts three days -
is a re-evocation of the medieval celebration of Nature's rebirth and
the initiation once again of the life cycle.
In the Middle Ages, the Kalende di Maggio (or "first days of May") welcomed the arrival of spring with a colorful array of dances, ballads, and the recitation of love poems. St. Francis, himself an accomplished troubadour (his mother was French), was highly admired for the richness and elegance of his verses and ballads. Provencal melodies were in grand vogue in Italy in this period, not only among the minstrels but also among the companies of young people (called brigate) who wandered the streets singing the canzoni di Maggio ("songs of May").
In the early 14th century, Assisi reached the peak of its splendor,
confirmed by the extension of its city walls, the castles in its possession,
the magnificence of its churches and the employment of great artists
to decorate these churches, among them Giotto, Simone Martini, and the
Lorenzetti brothers. However, this was also a period of internal conflict.
The city divided itself into rival factions, an outcome of political
antagonism between the two most powerful families: Nepis and Fiumi. La
Parte de Sotto (the "lower part" of Assisi) aligned with the
Nepis family while La Parte de Sopra (the "upper part"
of the city), supported the Fiumi family. Neither ecclesiastical restrictions
nor measures by the local magistrates could squelch the animosity. The
first bloody clash erupted at the end of the 14th century but conflicts
and hostilites spanned two centuries. 
Assisians celebrated
joyously the arrival of "Lady
Spring" with the Calendimaggio even during times of bitter conflict.
Each brigata or company of singers, elected a signore and
from among all the signori, a King of the festival was chosen.
They then elected a "Queen of May" who was born through the streets
on a cart festooned with flowers, encircled by young girls waving
flowering branches called maggi. Song and music filled the
streets and piazzas: madrigals, choral and solo pieces, traditional
melodies and improvised ones, every sort of popular song accompanied
by violin, mandolin, guitar, and harmonica. Men called maggiuoli ("Men
of May"), wandererd through
the countryside in song brigades spreading the spirit of the festival
among the farmers in the surrounding countryside... and this tradition
still continues.
On the eve of May 1st, song brigades serenade under the windows of the
farmhouses, accompanied by handmade tambourines, their voices
blending in age-old ballads which have passed for centuries from father
to son. At each farm, they are rewarded with eggs which are later sold
to finance a joyous celebration feast for all the brigade. Dance, as
well as song, was important to the festival. In fact, many of the songs
were composed and sung as accompaniment to the dances. The dances of
the women in the piazzas are a singular feature even today of the Calendimaggio,
the most common one being a circular or ring dance led by one woman
who directed the movements of all. The women harmonized in song as they
danced.
In 1927, Assisians joined to re-created annually the ancient custom of celebrating the rite of spring with song brigades and dance in the street. In 1954, the festival magnified into its present form, with the two parti of the town returning to their age-old rivalry, this time on peaceful (!?) terms. The Maestro del Campo ("Field Master") opens the festival with the acceptance of the city's keys, after which he invites la Magnifica Parte de Sotto and la Nobilissima Parte de Sopra to renew the annual contest... and the Assisani go wild!
For the following days, the two factions give life to a contest which
recalls the medieval spirit. Popular participation is so intense that
the city relives in every dimension a medieval atmosphere. The ancient
spirit of rivalry resurges in the various competitions of the Calendimaggio:
in song, in dance, in crossbow, archery and banner-hurling contests
and in the election of Madonna Primavera ("Lady Spring"). The Parti compete in
the decoration of the quarters of the town and in the parades of festooned
carts and costumed citizens.
In late medieval dress, the Assisians are living counterparts to the figures depicted in the Lorenzetti and Simone Martini frescoes which decorate their Basilica. At night, in the torchlit cobblestoned backstreets, they re-enact medieval dramas and scenes of daily life, while minstrels again stroll through the torchlit piazzas, stopping under balconies to serenade young girls. Colorful banners fly from the windows and taverne offer the traditional roast suckling pig seasoned with rosemary and wild fennel.
The festival climaxes in Assisi's central piazza on the third
and final night of the festivities. Here, dramatically backdropped by
the 1st-century BC Roman temple to Minerva, 13th c belltower
and crenellated medieval town hall, the song competiton takes place...
the final contest. For Assisians, this is the moment of greatest joy,
highest tension. The winning faction is awarded the Palio,
a red and blue banner trimmed in gold, bearing the symbol of Assisi,
the griffin as well as the coats-of arms of the two Parti. To
the characteristically reserved Assisians, the Calendimaggio offers
the opportunity to let loose with an exhuberance, a rowdy enthusiasm
of the sort most often associated with the Romans or Neapolitans. To
the visitor, the Calendimaggio
offers the opportunity to join the locals and step into the festivities
and ritual of another epoque.
* For information about my Calendimaggio tour, please click here.
* ...and click here to read about Gubbio's May festival
* For more on May celebrations in Umbria, please click here
© Annesitaly - Anne Robichaud