In the summer of 1226, San Francesco was gravely ill in the area near Nocera Umbra. The people of Assisi sent a cavlacade of knights to bring the suffering San Francesco home to his Assisi (where he will die, October 3, 1226). Along the way, the cavalcade stopped briefly at the small village of Satriano – a moment of renewal of faith for the knights and always remembered in the memoria francescana.
For about 100 years now, Assisi renews the Cavalcata di Satriano in early September:
The horsemen of the Cavalcata heading to Assisi stopped in the hills at Costa di Trex a few kilometers fromAssisi at the small mountainside church of Santo Stefano:
See a videoof the arrival of the cavalcata.
Local were ready to welcome them with refreshment:
All rode gratefully towards the welcome refreshing treats:
The cavalcade soon headed on to Assisi and into Piazza Santa Chiara……..
…..backdropped by the Basilica di Santa Chiara where St. Clare was buried in the 13th-century:
In front of the Basilica di Santa Chiara, all were welcomed by the Assisi sbandieratori (“banner-wavers”) in medieval garb:
The Assisi drummers in medieval costume, too, beat out the rhythm for the waving of the banners:
See the banner-wavers performance in this video.
Enjoy another video of the celebration.
After the gathering in the piazza of the Basilica di Santa Chiara, the procession headed to Assisi’s main square, Piazza del Comune where the 14th-c. civic buliding were draped with blue and red banners, the colors of the Assisi flag
The trumpeters of Assisi – in blue and red medieval dress – awaited proudly as they would soon welcome the cavalcade with the solemn blasts of the inno d’Assisi (“hymn of Assisi”):
Join us next year to celebrate the cavalcade in honor of San Francesco.
