02-04 September 2022

OK. Let’s get this over with. Serra lost all three races—the women’s race, the children’s race, and the main event. In fact, out of 34 races over the years, Serra has won only a single time! The count might have been two wins, however, tragedy struck several years ago when Serra’s win was disqualified because Luciana’s son Dario exuberantly rushed across the finish line to congratulate his friend Michele, the ocaro (the goose tender), thus blocking other geese from finishing cleanly. Before the race, the officials in robes solemnly read about 18 articles of regulations, such as you can urge the goose forward, but you can’t touch it. Robert tells Dario that now article 19 prohibits Dario from being closer than 50 meters to the finish line.

This weekend festival is a completely volunteer effort. Some people use their vacation time to participate. Whatever the event earns from modest entrance fees, plus food and drink sales, goes to finance future events. And this year, there was tremendous attendance. On Sunday, the 160 meters of the raceway, the main street of Serra, was two to three deep in spectators—approximately 900 people. Not bad for a town of 950 residents.

Schedule

The schedule is pretty full, but we learned not to depend on the published times. An event scheduled for 4:00PM might start at 4:40. We have learned to relax.

Friday is a soft start. “Medieval” music blasts from speakers throughout the town beginning about noon. We admire the decorations everywhere—banners and swags of ivy and wild flowers. A small art exhibit opens near the house. Many people are wearing t-shirts for their frazione. Robert hands out dozens of his goose pins. A jester on stilts strides through the streets playing a concertina. We eat dinner at picnic tables in one of the three areas for food and drink, chat with friends, and watch the procession of the royal court comprised of Serra and a majority of its frazione: Colombara, Leccia, Montevecchio, Petrara, and Poggetto. Each proudly displays their home color in the costumes of the ocari, around the necks of the geese, and in banners held during the parades and hung from the buildings throughout the comune. Serra’s color is red. The drum corps makes periodic passes up and down the main street at full volume in elegant costumes.

Saturday ramps up a bit. Starting around 4:00PM, men dressed in medieval armor battle it out. A falconer walks among the crowds. A juggler in costume entertains children. An author event features a local Serrano (someone born in Serra) now living in Rome whose new novel is a magical fantasy set in Serra. Food and drink continue, served by young men and women in costume. A trio playing medieval instruments roams among the crowd. Craft demonstrations—paper making, leather working, weaving—take place on a side street. The main event of the day is the evening race of six geese jockeyed by young women. Two men climb the historic bell tower. On the third peal of the bell, the race begins, in an explosion of feathers, flapping wings, and noise. The girls chase their geese down the street, shouting and clapping, but in the roar of the crowd who knows what the geese hear. An hour or two after the race, fireworks light up the main street. Later in the evening a rock band takes over the stage, playing until midnight. But partying continues for a few more hours as everyone trying to sleep in Serra can confirm.

Sunday is the main event. The festivities start at noon. Drummers, the royal court, and others dressed in medieval costume parade up and down the main street. Purples, greens, and blues dominate. The children’s race is scheduled for 5:30, preceded and followed by more drumming and parading. For each race this includes presenting the geese in their slatted wood boxes to the royal court, seated at the finish line in front of the city hall. This year, the first three geese in the children’s race were so fast that their minders had to scramble to keep up. Other geese sat down halfway up the course. By about 6:00PM, the main event begins. A troop of about 50 trumpeters and flag performers from Arezzo join the pageantry. The men’s race is serious competition, however, this year two geese refused to run and had to be carried to the finish line amidst lots of good-humored joking with friends on the sidelines.

The day ends with fireworks, live music, and continued eating and drinking.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday