«The Giostra del Saracino in Arezzo is that event in which four neighborhoods compete but in the end Santo Spirito always wins». The phrase, borrowed from football, is perhaps a little overused but it expresses well the meaning of the first edition, at night, of what is perhaps, after the Palio, the most heartfelt of the Tuscan and national folklore events, a real celebration of people, with 4 thousand spectators that filled the stands of Piazza Grande, at least others 10 thousand people outside waiting and the rest of the city hung on the Arezzo TVs that broadcast live news of the evening.
Epilogue only at the last shot of a very tight competition, high scores, suspense, continuous twists, sealed precisely by fortieth victory for the yellow-blue district, now alone at the top of the honor roll. It is also the thirteenth spear of the last thirteen years, as well as the thirteenth of the couple Gian Maria Scortecci (the real showman) and Elia Cicerchia, perhaps the best in the ninety-three years since the revival in 1931 of a medieval costume event which has its roots in the Divine Dante’s Comedy.
It was truly a breathtaking challenge to the tumbler, or rather to his arm with the scoreboard whose scores vary from one of the external shots to five of the center, a disc of just 4 centimetres, which by now the eight jousters, two per district of whose shots you add it up, they strike with extraordinary regularity. Porta del Foro, the “grandmother” of Giostra, opens the dance, that is, the one that hasn’t won in the longest time, with Francesco Rossi’s four. Good but not excellent, because he was immediately surpassed by Lorenzo Vanneschi’s five for Porta Crucifera, repeated in his third career by another centre, the inevitable Scortecci di Santo Spirito, who in a week of tests and matches never missed the spot kick more coveted. He closed Porta Sant’Andrea badly with a three from young Tommaso Marmorini: the green-and-whites had been very popular in the test days and nights of the Giostra simulata and Provaccia with the reserves, but they missed the appointment with the real match.
In fact, in their second careers, another centre, that of Davide Parsi for Porta del Foro, cuts them off early. Porta Crucifera remains in the competition and with Gabriele Innocenti’s four joins for the hypothetical play-offs. To which is added Santo Spirito; the shot of Elia Cicerchia, usually a sniper, is not up to his fame, the jury oscillates for a long time between two and four but in the end assigns the latter score. The clearer four of the green and white Saverio Montini is only for statistics.
Three-way play-offs, therefore, and this is where the emotions of a special night are concentrated, an hour and a half of racing until the threshold of midnight without a moment’s respite. At the start of Borgunto Parsi returns for Porta del Foro and in the impact with Buratto makes him shout in triumph: the spear in fact breaks against the King of the Indies and it is an event that in the regulation is worth doubling the score. It would be ten, because at first glance the shot seems to have hit five. But a more careful measurement causes the yellow-crimson neighborhood supporters to collapse: it is a two doubled to four. It is not enough.
Same emotion for Vanneschi’s subsequent career: it’s a five that deceives Porta Crucifera. The herald is cruel in reading the score: he confirms the center but after a pause of a few seconds adds a fatal “but”.
It’s a slow career, below the minimum expected timesanother peculiarity of the regulation that is worth a penalty, the five becomes a three.
At this point the now legendary Scortecci has the path clear, but he must hit the center if he wants to avoid a further playoff. He, cold as an icicle, doesn’t let himself be influenced and high-fives him with his spear. Game, set and match, the yellow-blue party explodes in the square.
He also observes in the stands Ferruccio Ferragamo, guest of honor of the evening.
The couple from Santo Spirito also reaches Martino Gianni, the glorious king of the square, in second place in the all-time ranking of jousters. In front he still remains, in the lead, followed by Donato Gallorini, the myth of myths, Tripoli Torrini, the only one in history who has won the Palio di Siena and the Giostra togethersix times in Piazza del Campo, 15 in Piazza Grande.
