La Chivalric Joust of Sulmona is a Renaissance-era historical reenactment held annually during the last weekend of July in Sulmona, revived as a modern event since 1995. This has been anticipated each year since 2003 by the Cordesca, the characteristic Joust of Children from 8 to 14 years old. This year the event is set for June 1 and 2.
The name Cordesca is borrowed from the local dialect term “curdisce,” which means the unripe fruit that ripens last; in this event, about 500 participants from Sulmona’s middle and elementary schools wearing Renaissance costumes of ladies, knights, armigers, musicians and flag-wavers compete in the city’s municipal stadium. The clashes are similar in character to those of the July competition; in fact, they are also paired with the Borghi and Sestieri of the Joust of Chivalry.
This event has become a real project that begins each year in September, coinciding with the beginning of the school year, within the city’s elementary and middle schools, where lessons in clarion, drums, flag, ancient dance, heraldry, and history of the Renaissance are taught by experts from the Jousting Association. A cycle that ends in June, when the Cordesca is held.
The re-enactment lasts two days repeating the same program: it begins in the early afternoon, with a procession starting from Piazza Plebiscito, winding its way through the city’s historic center and finally arriving in the Municipal Stadium where the little athletes will compete in a ring race, divided according to the age group they belong to; armed with spears, the children are found running on foot along a rather simple established course set up on the stadium’s turf, trying to hit as many rings as possible, placed hooked on silhouettes arranged along the circuit. The winner, during the second evening, is presented with a Palio designed for the occasion by a Sulmonese artist.
The Cordesca, is not just a competition, but an occasion during which the young players perform short shows of skill, giving value to everything they have learned during the school year. The project therefore is also a way to keep the focus on rediscovering traditions and passing them on to new generations. In addition, the Cordesca, had in the year 2005 the important recognition of “Messenger of Unicef,” which has been sponsoring the event ever since.
