'And let there be a great celebration': thus ended the dispute

In Mondaino, there's a precise moment when the calendar turns on itself. It's the moment when, between the tolling of bells and the blare of trumpets, the hilltop village in the Conca Valley ceases to live in the present and begins to breathe in the 15th century. Until Sunday, the Palio del Daino returns for its 36th edition, and the invitation "Let's relive history together... Get in the Palio" isn't just a slogan: it's an open door to an immersive experience. Those who struggle to approach history through textbooks will encounter it here, alive and tangible. All you need to do is let your five senses guide you: the rough fabric of the hand-sewn costumes, the intense aroma of the dishes served in the taverns, the thunder of the drums and the whistle of the crossbows, the warm light that envelops Piazza Maggiore at sunset.

It was the year of our Lord 1459, when Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, and Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, ended their feud, signing a peace pact in Mondaino that will forever remain in the collective memory. At the opening ceremony, "Et grande festa sia," the Captain of the Castle welcomed the two lords who had signed the agreement, amidst processions in period costume, trumpet blasts, and fluttering banners. From that moment, the four Contrade—Borgo, Castello, Contado, and Montebello—will compete in games of skill, tests of cunning, and endurance, culminating on Sunday evening with the "Gioco del Daino," which will award the coveted banner. But the Palio is much more than a competition. It's a mosaic of performances and encounters: on Saturday and Sunday, at 10:45 pm, maestro Salvatore Francavilla will lead "Epica," a show in Piazza Maggiore that blends theater, music, and acrobatics. The 2025 program welcomes newcomers such as the Belgian duo Les Contes Dsphaldt – Ottfriedt and Odil, and the company I Senza Quinta with "The Witch Trial – The Story of Angese," a theatrical journey into a 15th-century courtroom, amidst superstition and uncertain justice. Among over a hundred artists, artisans, and performers, falconers will demonstrate spectacular flights above the rooftops, jesters will enchant with improvisations, and art masters will reveal ancient crafts. And then there's the silent soul of it all: approximately 400 volunteers. Cooks, costume designers, technicians, and extras. A collective effort that makes the impossible possible and transforms Mondaino into a fully functioning "time machine." Mondaino, these days, is more than just a village: it's a choral work of hands, voices, and memories. A celebration that doesn't simply recall the Middle Ages, but reenacts them, inviting everyone to become part of it. Because here, history isn't just something to be seen: it's something to be worn, heard, breathed. And, above all, it's something to be lived.