Events in Tuscany
Giostra del Saracino
penultimate Saturday of June (night edition) and first Sunday of September · Arezzo
The Giostra del Saracino is Arezzo’s chivalric tournament: the knights of the four quarters — Porta Crucifera, Porta del Foro, Porta Santo Spirito and Porta Sant’Andrea — charge at a gallop across Piazza Grande towards the Buratto, the automaton representing the King of the Indies, and strike its target with the lance. It is run twice a year, on the penultimate Saturday night of June and the first Sunday of September, after a procession of over three hundred performers.
The villas of the Arezzo Valdichiana and the Valdarno host families who choose Arezzo for the antiques fair on the first weekend of each month and for a less crowded Tuscany: the Giostra is the evening they remember. The concierge books seats in the stands and a driver, because the historic centre is closed and fills from the afternoon.
- When
- Edition dates based on the event’s usual calendar: to be confirmed with the organiser.
Where to stay
Tripcare manages 3 houses within 25 kilometres of Giostra del Saracino, with in-person check-in and a concierge who knows the dates, the road closures and the car parks. Event nights are booked months ahead: the earlier you write, the more choice there is.
Why it matters if you own a villa
Two fixed dates that bring Italian and foreign guests to houses within half an hour of Arezzo, in June and early September, when the Arezzo Valdichiana has no other peaks.
The towns around the event
Book early
For the Giostra del Saracino dates the nearby houses sell out early. Write to us with your dates and number of guests: we reply with real availability and a quote within 24 hours.
Ask for availability