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# 62 • June 12 , 2015
The "Dama Castellana", one of the most
important historical Italian events, evokes
an important Renaissance battle that took
place in the second half of 1200 between Conegliano and Treviso. The Living
Checkers commemorates the battle where the soldiers from Conegliano, victorious in the dispute, forced the enemies
to bring them on their shoulders, as they
were donkeys, up to the Castle.
Two centuries later, the event was remembered with games and competitions in the village, the first edition of the
great Feast of the Dama Castellana that
today the town commemorates in fifteenth- century dresses, beautifully and carefully packaged for the occasion.
The Prelude announces the party on Friday night, with the historic procession
that from the Cathedral, with the blessed Gonfalons, comes up to the town
hall. Here the lady winner of the previous
edition gives the keys of the castle to the
city's mayor, who the day after will give
them to the new winner. In the meantime
the feast sees shows, games of fire and
musicians.
The next day the procession arrives at
Cima Square for the famous game of
checkers, symbol of the battle, allowing
to admire beautiful vintage dresses, velvet, decorations, feathers and hats, and
the radiance jewelry worn by the actors.
The game takes place on an immense
chessboard where living black and white
"pawns" move, slowly eliminating each
other between the jubilation and cheering on of the districts in the stands.
The penalty for the losers is to push the
cart with the winning Lady up to the castle. Following there's a Renaissance
dinner with minstrels, jugglers and musicians, old recipes and tasting of the
famous Prosecco from Conegliano, to
whom we owe the birth of the first wine
route in Italy, "the Prosecco wine road".
WE THE ITALIANS | 11
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