Bakers and Battles

The re-enactment of the Battle of the Fornarina is an annual celebration of when San Ginesio was victorious is defeating a surprise attack in 1377 by the town of Fermo. It is set at the Porta Picena, the main gateway into the town, with the city walls as a backdrop and what was a pilgrims' hostel to one side. San Ginesio was a well used place of rest for pilgrims traveling between Loreto and Rome. It happens once darkness falls so there is always a lot of standing around before battle commences (and quite a lot when it gets under way too). The townsfolk were woken by a baker woman on her way to work and she literally saved the day and has been feted ever since; there are streets named in her honour. I found out this year that there were originally 8 gates into San Ginesio and one of them was at the end of my street and historians think that that was where the battle actually took place. At the very end of my road is a small shrine to the Madonna (on the site of where a church originally stood) which was built in thanks for the town being saved. These photos were taken a couple of years ago but I am sure that little would have changed.
Cub Reporter has filed story - We went to see the Battle of the Fornarina. It was very nicely staged and everything looked so pretty dressed up with Medieval clothes and candles, and little Medieval shops everywhere displaying armour. We couldn't really understand what was going on in the play, and it lasted for about an hour standing up outside, but there was a very good singer (we think she might have been one of the girls who works at Terra Nostra) who sung a few pretty songs. The actual battle was exciting, and the stunt men were good. There were a couple of big gunpowder explosions, and a lot of digging swords into other peoples' stomachs.