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The 6th edition of “Radda Rinascimentale nel segno del Ferrucci” filled the town with sounds and colors in a magical atmosphere.

Like every year, the streets were filled with crowds, flag-throwers, music and all types of stands, bringing inhabitants and visitors back in time to the year 1527, when Francesco Ferrucci was mayor of Radda in Chianti.

“The figure of Ferrucci is historically important,” says Ursula Spicchiaioli, who has been following the festival since its first edition. “It is even cited in our national anthem. Sources tell us that he wasn’t particularly loved, and it seems he was a scoundrel. But many would have wanted a scoundrel like him!”.

Because of the historic importance of the event, nothing was left to chance. The organizers were assisted by the historian, Riccardo Mugellini, and the choreography was led by the direction of Marco Cei.

The event opened with a dinner of more than 200 participants followed by the official investiture of the two teams of “palla in botte” by their captains.

The game, surrounded by a large public, was played on Saturday afternoon and was won by the Porta Fiorentina who beat the Porta Valdarnese by 15 “botti e mezzo” to “9 botti e mezzo”.

“This is our first victory,” says Marco, strong point of the Yellow team, “and we are really happy. After years of practice, we saw the results. The two teams met with sportsmanship and gave us the best game ever, both for athletics and spectacle”.

The fair continued between one event and another, ending in a typical “itinerant” dinner with various food stands positioned around the town. The evening concluded with a fascinating show by the fire eater, “Tiziano giullare senza radici”, who bewitched young and old.

Sunday was another day rich in events, highlighted by the falconer Lorenzo Tartarini, who masterfully entertained the public with beautiful examples, among which Petra, one of the only Japanese eagles in Italy.

Many companies brought life to the festival: “Alfieri e Musici della Valmarina”, the “Contrada Alfiere di Bagno a Ripoli” and “La Compagnie dal Barbecocul”, as well as the collaboration of the Museum, Francesco Ferrucci of Gavinana. “Without them” says Ursula “it wouldn’t have been possible to give life to this event”.

But, according to Sabrina Borgianni, another frequent organizer, “the hard work of these days was amply repaid by seeing an entire town mobilized. This fills our heart with pride and gives us the force to improve each year. The sense of belonging and aggregation which this event produces is the real reason for which it is worth working so hard”.

Emanuele Grazzini

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