Feast of Barbarossa

Since 1962, on the third weekend in June, San Quirico d'Orcia has celebrated an important historical episode - the passage of Frederick I Hohenstaufen in 1155 - with the Feast of Barbarossa.

The evocative and symbolic re-enactment includes a theatrical reconstruction set in the most significant corners of the historic center, on the parvis of the Collegiate Church, in the squares and main streets. The protagonists reenact the meeting between Emperor Barbarossa and the Cardinals, the civil and religious authorities of San Quirico at the time, the nobles, the people and the armies.

The historic center is divided into the four Quartieri (districts), originating from the logic of medieval toponymy: the Quartiere di Borgo, black and white; the Quartiere di Canneti, white and blue; the Quartiere Castello, white and red; and the Quartiere Prato, white and green.

For the Feast of Barbarossa, the Quarteri compete in spectacular challenges between archers and standard bearers to win the Emperor's Pitchers (Brocche dell’Imperatore).

Barbarossa is also a festival of flavors: traditional dishes and the best wines of the area can be tasted in the taverns of the districts.