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The “Stagion Bona” Festival that take place on April 25th, is one of the most awaited events in Panzano in Chianti and one of the most characteristic and suggestive festivals of the area.

It is a day dedicated to the history and traditions of the proudest village of the Chianti region.

The main event will be a duplication of events of the year 1345 with the whole village as protagonist.

The historic episode refers to the cortege procession organized by Luca di Totto de’ Firidolfi, Lord of Panzano, on April 25th of that year. At the end of the parade a young man,  found guilty of crimes against the Lord,  was executed by hanging.

The “Stagion Bona” Festival is one of the longest running events in Chianti and  has been held for more than 40 years.

The festival is organized by the Association “Il Grondino”  which has been promoting popular festivals and traditions of Panzano for decades. “Il Grondino”,as explains the president Claudio Gualdani, is a non-profit association born in the 1990’s and composed almost entirely of young people between the ages of 20 and 30.  Its only purpose is to enhancing the traditions of the village and organizing festivals and events such as this, the most important and  popular one.

Panzano still preserves many features of the village of the past and its very proud citizens are similar to those of Siena during the Palio,  rivalry included.

“Il Grondino”  also organizes the “Scoppio del Carro” the Tuesday after Easter, the musical event “Chianti in Rock” dedicated to new local bands and the Saint Anna’s Festival on July 26th.

The “Stagion Bona” Festival will start in the morning, but the best moment will be around 4pm with the historical parade through the streets of the village ending with the hanging. The story is narrated by a herald, who, standing on a terrace next to the Duke, recites the events to the public. The story ends with the tragic vote of hooded judges. They decide the destiny of the poor boy by using two nuts: the white nut means salvation, while the black nut  means the death sentence.

The party will go on through the evening, with dancing and singing in the streets and the traditional “Quadriglia”, danced in pairs to the melody of “Radetsky’s March”.

Matteo Morandini