Padenghe’s Ninth Palio delle Botti Promotes Community and Sports Spirit

It will take place, rain or shine, the ninth edition of the Palio delle botti scheduled for this evening in Padenghe sul Garda. This is the firm will of the organizers of the Polisportiva G.B. Vighenzi of Padenghe, to whom the municipal administration of Padenghe has delegated the organizational and logistical duties of the event.

Supporting the athletes are also members and supporters of the local Sezione alpini, engaged in their annual social gathering called the «Giornate alpine» (Alpine Days). Last night, timed trials were held to determine the starting grid for tonight’s individual race.

The teams and their purpose

Seven municipalities and thus seven teams will compete for this palio, which the Lions section of Valtenesi established nine years ago to encourage people to «improve their community». How successful they have been in their «improvement» efforts, we do not know; what is certain is that for nine years this event has contributed to entertaining the large audience that gathers along the route, as well as keeping around 50 athletes engaged through numerous and exhausting training sessions.

Thanks and significance of the event

To thank them for their dedication, it was the same mayor of Padenghe, Giancarlo Allegri, who addressed them through the pages of the booklet specially created for the event. «Allow me to express a heartfelt thank you to all the friends of Polisportiva G.B. Vighenzi and the Gruppo alpini for all the work done and the energy invested,» writes Allegri.

«Thanks to the various guests and those who, in different capacities, with their collaboration, will make this event possible. Finally, not least, the towns of Valtenesi, for whom the meaning is not just about the race, but about participation to give an idea of territorial unity, as if the seven towns were districts of a single community. The meaning of this belonging — concludes the first citizen of Padenghe — must become increasingly rooted, both in administrative terms and for future strategic planning, to communicate to the next generations that the “campanile” exists in the competitive practice of the game, but disappears when governing and planning for the future of Valtenesi’s land.»

Evening program

The program begins at 7 p.m. with the opening of the food stand; at 9 p.m., a Renaissance parade in period costumes by the Storico gruppo di Castiglione Olona (Historical Group of Castiglione Olona) and the folkloric group «La Carata» of Polpenazze will march through.

At 10:30 p.m., the barrel race will determine the 9th Palio. The course will be as follows: departure from via Barbieri in front of the municipal building, then via F.lli Beretta, via Garibaldi, via della Chiesa, piazza Caduti, and after completing three laps, the finish line will be in via Barbieri.