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Town Arquata del Tronto Folklore Festa Bella
Town Arquata del Tronto Folklore Festa Bella
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FESTA BELLA History: On 7th October 1571, in the Gulf of Lepanto, the biggest battle of all time was fought. The Christian fleet, led by Don Giovanni D'Austria with Marcantonio Colonna as commander of the Papal troops, routed the Ottomans captained by Mehemet Alì after five hours of bloody fighting. Tradition has it that about one hundred and fifty men from Spelonga fought in the battle, having been engaged by Farnese who was in those parts to purchase wood. They even managed to capture a Turkish flag which, torn and stained with blood, is even now kept in the parish church of St. Agata di Spelonga of Arquata.In remembrance of this, every three years at least 150 men from Spelonga go to Monti della Laga (Bosco Maltese to be precise) and cut down a huge fir tree about 30 metres high. Over three days the tree is moved to the town where it is turned into the mast of a Turkish felucca in the town square. The historical figure of Marcantonio Colonna affixes a replica of the flag to the top of the mast before it is “raised” using only ropes and ladders.Bibliography:
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