"Joust of the Quintana" copyright piera.seghetti Foto Cav. Tarquini CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/57531797@N03/5814927716 (cropped from the original)

On the second Saturday in July and the first Sunday in August, time seems to stop and the town Cento Torri goes back six centuries to relive the magnificence and opulence of the free district and to commemorate the patron saint’s festivals that were held on horseback in honour of Sant'Emidio. Ascoli dives enthusiastically back into its past to the joy of its visitors.
The historic commemoration started in 1955. The Quintana began thanks to some inspired citizens who wanted to bring some vitality back to a provincial town which had only just been rebuilt after the major global conflicts. These people set themselves the task of rediscovering how Ascoli traditionally celebrated the Patron Saint. It was in the historic Caffè Meletti, overlooking the monumental piazza del Popolo, that the idea was created, decided and realized in a short time. On 5th August 1995, Saint Emidio’s day, the historic celebration of the Quintana came to light. Visitors are spellbound by the lavish procession of 1500 characters in Renaissance costume who pass through the most suggestive streets. The magistrates, led by the magnificent lord, and the current mayor, open the procession. After the municipal group there solemnly follow the nine Castles subject to Ascoli’s Municipality and the six districts with the splendid lady, the elegant nobility, the granite soldiers, musicians and flag wavers and, obviously, the knight. The costumes are well finished and the accidental models are the characters painted by great artists who worked in the Piceno area in the 15th century, in particular, Carlo Crivelli; some of the costumes are made by well-known designers such as Pizzi, Guidetti, and Martini. The lady of district is the most admired character and her dress is very rich and elaborate. Some of the most famous costumes are now preserved in the Quintana Authority in Arringo square, open to the public during the summer period.
The Quintana is not just about the rich parade and the exciting Joust at the games field of Majore Bridge. The historic commemoration is about different moments and times which retrace the ritual itinerary of the ancient city celebrations, regularly described in the Statutes of 1377. The knights' tournament of Ascoli Piceno's quintana, a real page of the Middle Ages that rekindles the passion in the souls of Ascoli citizens every year, drawing the admired attention of thousands and thousands of tourists, is one of the many aspects of the Italian history, customs and folklore. As such, this event has often represented these values abroad on special occasions, such as the last World Exhibition in Montreal, where a summary of the event was shown to the cosmopolitan public during the National Italian day.
It has also represented Italy at Les Fetes Internationnelles de Genève, and on dozens of other occasions in almost all of Europe.