Montalcino's Festival of the Thrush

Jim and Lynette Romagnesi • Jun 10, 2021

The Tuscan town of Montalcino has scarcely changed in appearance since the 16th century. It is a classic fairy-tale hilltop town, set within a full circle of fortified walls. The stone streets are enchanting, and the village is a wonderful place to stroll around among the labyrinth of charming arts and crafts shops, cafes, restaurants, and wine bars. To add to its charm, it just happens to be set in a breathtaking Tuscan landscape, which includes the UNESCO World Heritage listed Val d’Orcia and the hills of the neighbouring Maremma region. The landscape is scattered with ancient oak trees and picturesque olive groves and vineyards. It has winding country roads and beautifully aligned cypress trees running through it, and at times its various scenes resemble works of art rather than simply farmland.

If you are into red wine, then Montalcino is also the place to be. The town has become famous for its Brunello wine, one of the world’s best and most appreciated Italian wines. Brunello was invented in 1888 by Ferruccio Biondi Santi, who first had the idea of leaving out the grapes used in the traditional Chianti recipe, such as Canaiolo and Colorino, and using only the Sangiovese variety.

On our small group tour of Tuscany, we stay in Montepulciano for 3 nights at the Hotel Il Giglio (The Lily). Il Giglio is a beautiful property in the heart of the town, a few steps away from the main Piazza del Popolo. Il Giglio opened at the end of the 19th century as a coach house, where travellers could find a place to eat and sleep, and horses could rest after the steep climb to Montalcino. It is now a small family run hotel and restaurant, with beautiful views looking over the Val D’Orcia. The owners Mario, Anna and their son, Michele, run this beautiful place with pride.

If you have ever travelled to Italy, particularly in spring and autumn, you would have realised that Italian towns are full of festivals that usually celebrate some sort of local, seasonal produce. One might also find it a little odd that so much time and effort goes into celebrating the ‘apple’ or the ‘chestnut’. But these celebrations aren’t just about the produce. They say so much more about the pride of place that locals have with their towns and their heritage.

Montalcino has two main festivals; one in August for the celebration of the hunting season; and the other in October called the Thrush Festival. This event is eagerly awaited every year by the locals. Bird migration, and especially song thrush migration, has always been particularly intense in this area, leading to Montalcino having a longstanding hunting tradition. In the Middle Ages, when hunters and falconers returned to their villages with their quarry, it was customary to throw parties to which both nobles and commoners took part. Men challenged each other in tournaments, while women organized great banquets.

In the two-day Thrush Festival, two excellent archers from each of the four Montalcino neighbourhoods compete to determine the best archer. This is not a friendly game of archery. This is a rivalry, and passion abounds! The shooting starts on Saturday afternoon with a final tournament on Sunday. The winner becomes a local hero bringing glory and honour back to the winning neighbourhood. Each community, also known as a quarter (Quartiere), have their own flag, emblem, colours, headquarters and of course archery team. The quarter names are Pianello, Borghetto, Travaglio, and Ruga.

On Saturday morning, members from the folkloristic dance group Il Trescone, sing, dance, and encourage people to attend the Festival. In the meantime, 150 extras, dressed in Medieval costumes parade in the town’s streets, that are decorated with the districts’ colours. In Piazza del Popolo, the town crier announces that the Sagra del Tordo (festival of the Thrush) has officially begun. The citizens of Montalcino gather to the sound of the trumpets and listen to the proclamation and nomination of the archers who will shoot in the tournament tomorrow.

Archery Trials are held in the afternoon to determine the firing sequence of the archers for the next day, and to also determine the ultimate shooting distance. The two winners, along with members of their quarter, then head back home to ring the victory bell. That evening, each quarter prepares a traditional four-course dinner feast. The dinner is served by children from the quarter, and all participants sing and chant into the night, in preparation for the Sunday competition.

In the four Quartieri, visitors can taste the local traditional dishes and products: pappardelle with wild boar ragu, pinci pasta with tomato sauce, mushroom soup, bread soup, quail roast, fried polenta, tripe, and many more. Everything, of course, is accompanied by the famous Montalcino reds.

On Sunday afternoon and once the tournament is over, the winning Quartiere collects a silver arrow. This initiates celebrations that will last throughout the winter, with the losing districts constantly laughed at and mocked by the winners!