Archery Tournament
The Archery competition takes place on the second sunday in August and the last sunday in October and has been held since 1962 under the ramparts of the Fortress of Montalcino.
The shooting range that hosts the Archery competition between the four Districts of Montalcino lies at the foot of the 14th-century Fortress and is divided into four lanes, each of which ends with the silhouette of a wild boar. Four distances from the target are indicated in each lane: 25, 30, 35 metres and the final distance, which can vary from 38 to 45 metres. It is the District that wins the Saturday Provaccia (trial) that chooses the distance from which all the archers will shoot at the competition on the Sunday.
Every arrow shot changes in value depending on the distance: arrows shot from a distance of 25 metres are worth 1 point, those shot from 30 metres are worth 2 points, those shot from 35 metres are worth 3 points, and those shot from the final distance are worth 4 points.
All the archers have five arrows to shoot in a maximum time of 40 seconds, aiming at a 3D reconstruction of a wild boar. When the time is up, a manual mechanism turns the boar around, preventing the archers from shooting any arrows afterwards.
In the event of a tie between two or more Districts, at the end of the final shooting distance, one or more tiebreakers are held, always from the previously established final distance.
The drawing of lots for the archers and the 'Provaccia'
On the morning of the day preceding the competition in Piazza del Popolo, the drawing of lots for the archers takes place in the presence of the Mayor of Montalcino and the representative of the Magistrate, preceded by the drawing of the order of procession of the Districts in the Historical Parade.
The Captains of the Archers of each District submit a sealed and secret envelope containing the names of three Archers, only two of whom will be drawn to compete in the Provaccia and the following day’s competition.
The order of the shooting lanes for the Provaccia is also drawn at this time. The Provaccia is held at the shooting range on the Saturday afternoon, offering a foretaste of the competition itself, and it is during this trial that the District with the highest score earns the right to choose both its own shooting lane and the final distance, between 38 and 45 metres, for the following day’s tournament.
Trophies
The District that wins the Tournament for the ‘Apertura delle Cacce’ receives a silver medal as a prize, and the winner of the Tournament for the ‘Sagra del Tordo’ receives a silver arrow.
Special prizes have also been added over the years, including the golden arrow, awarded every 10 years since 1967 for the ‘Sagra del Tordo’, and the gold medal, also awarded every 10 years for the ‘Apertura delle Cacce’ since 2012.
Moreover, since 2007, the winning District has been awarded a work of art created by artists who participate in a competition organised by the Municipal Administration of Montalcino. The work of art for the ‘Sagra del Tordo’ is inspired by a painting depicting the Madonna and Child, Saints Ansano and Lorenzo, and the Holy Saviour from the ancient courthouse of Montalcino, now conserved in the town museums; while the subject of the work of art created for the ‘Apertura delle Cacce’ must be the archer and the Montalcino landscape.
The ‘San Sebastiano’ prize, named after the patron saint of archers, has recently been introduced. Financed by the ‘Fondo San Sebastiano’, the prize is awarded to the archers who shoot the “complete series” during each competition, meaning that they shoot all the arrows in each series without making any mistakes.
A jury appointed by the “Comitato di Tutela” (Protection Committee) also selects the best drummer in the procession from among those representing the Districts. The prize is named after the late Roberto Caselli, a member of the “Comitato di Tutela delle Feste Identitarie di Montalcino” (Committee for the Protection of Identifying Festivals of Montalcino), who died an untimely death.
Here, it is possible to consult the Roll of Honour, which preserves the historical memory of the Archery Tournaments held from 1962 to the present day. It is also possible to consult the archive of the works of art awarded to the winning Districts from 2007 to this day.
Historical notes
The Sagra del Tordo Archery Tournament was established in 1962 between the four Districts of Montalcino. Each District participates with two archers, who challenge each other by shooting at a target in the shape of a wild boar from four different distances. The score depends on the shooting distance.
Changes were made to the regulations in 1972, with the introduction of the 35 and 40 metre distances, replacing the first two of 10 and 15 metres, an increase from three to five arrows per archer and a time limit of 40 seconds. The secret drawing of the archers began in 1987, and, since 1993, the winner of the ‘Provaccia’ (trial) has chosen the distance and lane for the competition.
The target has undergone a gradual evolution: from a jute silhouette (1962) to cork (from 1967 to 2009), to the current three-dimensional synthetic target. Today, unlike in the 1960s, each district has its own training ground where archers practise all year round.
