For Faenza, with the arrival of June the colors of the five districts return and the events dedicated to competitions and socializing, waiting to go to the field “to compete in the Jousts”. And finally, with Covid and partly the flood behind us, the Niballo returns to normal after three years. “Many events are scheduled from 2 to 23 June – explained the organizational coordinator, Benedetta Diamanti –, the date of the dispute of the 67th Palio del Niballo. In case of postponement, the contest will be held on 29 June at night as on 30 June when the Tour de France will pass through Faenza in the afternoon”. Tickets will be on presale online, at prices unchanged compared to 2023, starting from May 27th at 12pm, on www.vivaticket.com and in authorized sales points. This year the Niballo arrives on Skytv in the program ‘Una gita Fuori Porta’ and there will no longer be paper sheets of the rounds but a scorecard app downloadable from Google Play, created by Fabio Garavini. Starting from June 3rd, the districts will host dinners in their venues until the eve of the Palio.
Furthermore, from 1 June it will be possible to participate online in the FantaPalio, an initiative promoted by the Local Youth Committee along the lines of FantaSanremo or Fantacalcio. The live streaming service on the official Niballo channels is confirmed, which will allow you to watch in real time the Jousts and Tournaments of the Bandiers and Musicians, who have returned to the Fisb. The Banner of the Palio was then presented, a beautiful work by the artist from Faenza but long since transplanted to Tuscany, Giancarlo Montuschi who illustrated the work of “pop art, between comics and medieval painting, with a Saint Peter with a clean and the clothes with the colors of Faenza; above the Duomo and then, stylized, the keys”. Instead, the beautiful ceramic ‘Liocorno’ will go to Alexandra Massari, 24 years old, which will be awarded to the best lady in the Palio 2024 procession. Mayor Massimo Isola praised “the work of the many local volunteers who keep an event alive that revives the past, but in a rigorous and cultural way, and which for generations now has kept the districts, an important part of the city, more than alive. Then I must thank publicly, for the great work done with wisdom, patience and great ability, and free of charge, for over twenty years, Fausto Brugnoni and Antonio Lolli who have dedicated a piece of their lives to the Palio and from this year will be replaced by Cristian Malavolti, new Podestà of the Giostra, and Nicola Solaroli, Maestro di Campo”.
Having completed the veterinary checks to qualify for the competition field yesterday morning, there are 25 eligible horses from the districts. Red: Vanilla Cream, Blanket of Snow, Bide Tue, Maisimileaquesta, Tempesta Blu. Borgo Durbecco: Princesse de Rio, Farai Strada, Perfectly, Gun-jo and Mister Armando. Green: Guaderiann, Monsieur Polly, Green Commander winner of Palio 2023, Magia dei Sapori and Orchis. Black: Lethal Grey, Kelly in Black winner of Palio 2019 and 2021, Borakay, Zorzittu and Doublethink. Crime: Ramona Danzig, Ischia Porto, All Our Dream, Foto di Rito e Artigiano. At this point all that remains is to wait for the free practice of the 25th edition of the Bigorda D’Oro to begin on May 27th at the stadium. These, barring last-minute surprises, are the riders expected at the competition field. Green: Palio, Marco Diafaldi, (Winner 2023). Bigorda, Stefano Venturelli. Borgo Durbecco: Palio, Luca Innocenzi. Bigorda, Enrico Gnagnarella. Red: Palio, Matteo Rivola. Bigorda, Daniele Leri. Black: Palio, Manuel De Nobili. Bigorda, Alberto Liverani. Yellow: Palio, Gela Certian known as Gege. Bigorda, Davide Ricci, (debutant).
Gabriele Garavini
