This tradition dates back to the March 25 1688, when the urn containing the body of the saint patron of the city, St Rainier of the Scaccieri, was solemnly placed in the chapel of the Cathedral of Pisa.

From this day, a wonderful celebration of light is organized by the inhabitants of Pisa on the eve of the day of the Patron Saint. About seventy thousands candles are set in special holders for the occasion. But the “Luminaria” is more than that, in fact during the afternoon many volunteers light candles that are lit and floated down to the river. We highly recommend you to see this impressive shiny river!

Every year in June is held a big event in Pisa, Tuscany, to celebrate its patron saint San Ranieri. During this celebration, the four districts of the city of Pisa; San Martino, San Francesco, Sant’Antonio and Santa Maria compete in a boat race.

This incredible boat racing dates back to the traditional contests organized for the Assumption on 15th August. Four boats, each one representing a district, compete into a regatta along the Arno River.

Each district has its own colors, San Martino is white and red, San Francesco is white and yellow, Sant’Antonio is white and green and Santa Mario is white and blue.

The race is held on the Arno River along a 2 km stretch and this event mixes the passion of sports with the competitive spirit of the popular tradition of boat racing, and representing the heritage of the past glory of Pisa as an ancient maritime republic.

Each fiberglass boat has five fixed seats with eight oarsmen, a steersman and a climber, all competing together for the “paliotto”, the final prize.

To respect the ancient traditions, the steersman has to choose the best route and surpass the other boats. The victory does not depend on the arrival order, but upon the climber’s skill, who has to climb up one the four cables reaching the top of the ten-meter high mast hoisted on the boat.

This way, he has to grasp the banner, the symbol of the victory that depends on the color of this silk banner, and to win the climber has to bring down the blue one.

The catch of the banner reminds the ancient exploit at Lepanto, when the fleet of the Knights of Saint Stephen boarded the Turkish flagship and stole the Muslim fight banner waving on the mast.

This banner has been recently restored and you can see it the Church of St Stephen of the Knights in Pisa.

Every year the ancient traditions are respected, and a couple of white geese is given to the last-place team as a sign of mockery.

On the night before the race, the famous Luminara is held in which the Pisans hang thousands of candles from the buildings along the river. All the historic buildings are lighted with candles or burning torches, reflecting in the waters and creating an incredible atmosphere.

The race starts upstream of the Railway Bridge, el Ponte della Ferrovia, and finishes in front of the Palazzo Medici along the Lungarno Mediceo.

Siena, the Tuscan city, celebrates another year the most famous event in the city: the Palio di Siena. In honour of the Virgin of Provenzano and the Virgin of Assunta, respectively, it celebrates the oldest horse race in the world. The race, which takes the form of medieval tournament, brings together ten of the city’s seventeen districts.

As a general rule, the seven neighborhoods that were not elected to participate the previous year will have a chance to do so, as well three additional randomly chosen districts to form the final ten. The winner is the horse that arrives at the end first, with or without a rider, after three laps in the Piazza del Campo. The prize consists of a silver medal or drappellone or cencio, which will be presented in August. But what is more important for the citizens of Siena than the medal, is that the district winner will enjoy the honour and glory of being the winner against the other districts – at least until the next pallium.

To fully enjoy this unique and amazing event, we offer our splendid and comfortable apartments in the city centre, ensuring a fantastic holiday at a price more than competitive. Come and enjoy Tuscany and be part of this unforgettable event in the best conditions!