Pisa celebrates the end of the Florentine siege of September 8, 1499, one of the most significant episodes in the history of the Second Pisan Republic.
On Sunday, September 6, 2026, the sixth edition of the historical reenactment organized by the Porta San Marco Crossbowmen with the patronage of the Municipality of Pisa will take place at Bastione Stampace and Sostegno.
Camps and defensive lines with Renaissance cannons, a historical procession, the Palio della Vittoria, falconry shows, musicians, and flag games will accompany a day dedicated to remembering the resistance of the Pisans who, after a 38-day siege, forced the Florentine army led by Paolo Vitelli to retreat.
On the occasion of the sixth edition, a historical commemorative folder dedicated to the end of the siege of the Stampace Bastion will also be presented, accompanied by two prints reproducing two oil paintings on oval panels by the eighteenth-century Pisan painter Niccolò Matraini, depicting the Baptism of Christ and the Conversion of Saint Ranieri. The two works were originally located in the church of Sant'Antonio in Qualquonia and were donated by Pisan families of Armenian origin belonging to the Company of Sant'Antonio. The church, severely damaged during the bombing of August 31, 1943 and subsequently left abandoned for a long time, was recovered and returned to the use of the city on June 4. The two original paintings are now preserved and exhibited at the National Museum of the Royal Palace. The dressing of the participants in the historical procession will take place in the afternoon in the premises of the church of Sant'Antonio in Qualquonia.
The reenactment recalls the events of the summer of 1499, when the Florentine army led by Paolo Vitelli laid siege to Pisa. On August 10, troops managed to capture the Stampace Bastion, but the city continued to resist, with the participation of the population and a significant role played by Pisan women in the defense. The Pisans were also joined by three hundred infantrymen from Lucca. After 38 days of siege, partly due to the difficulties encountered by the besieging army and the malaria that had begun to spread among its ranks, Vitelli was forced to retreat on 8 September.
The event, now in its sixth edition, is registered in the regional calendar of historical reenactments of Tuscany. In the five previous editions of the Palio dei Balestrieri the record is three victories for the Balestrieri of Porta San Marco and two for the Compagnia Balestrieri of Lucca.
PROGRAMME
9.30 am – Arrangement of camps
12 pm – Laying a laurel wreath on the walls by the city authorities, in the presence of the City Banner and the Valets in historical costume.
3.30 pm –Dressing at the church of Sant'Antonio in Qualquonia, at Via Qualquonia 3.
4.30 pm – Historical procession from Sant'Antonio in Qualquonia to Largo Marinai d'Italia, stopping at the church of San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno for the solemn blessing of the participants.
5 pm– Palio della Vittoria dispute between the Lucca Crossbowmen Company and the Porta San Marco Crossbowmen, within the Sostegno.
6 pm – Falconry show and flag games.
7 pm – Victory Awards and Celebrations.
