The Story
1495: the escape from the castle and the race towards the lake
It's 1495. Italy is torn by wars, alliances, and rivalries between powerful families.
Perugia, too, is experiencing turbulent times. Two families have long been vying for power over the city and the surrounding territory: the Baglioni and the Oddi.
After years of conflict, betrayal, and vendettas, the balance of power has now shifted toward the Baglioni.
The Oddi, defeated and forced into exile, are still trying to resist in the territories around Lake Trasimeno. One of their last refuges is the castle of Passignano, perched above the lake, protected by walls and towers.
But safety is short-lived.
The Baglioni militia advances toward the town. The siege is swift and relentless: the castle is surrounded, and those remaining inside quickly realize that resistance is impossible. To remain would mean falling into enemy hands.
They must escape. And they must do so quickly.
Under the pressure of the siege, a desperate yet brilliant idea was born: to reach the lake and escape by water.
In a frantic and dramatic scene, the people "fled through the other gate, which faces Cortona, with such fury and fear that they forced the gate open." They grabbed the fishermen's boats and carried them on their shoulders.
Running, they carried the boats like an enormous burden, but one necessary for their safety.
The race was frantic.
Any moment could be the last before their pursuers caught up with them.
Finally, they reached the shore of Lake Trasimeno.
The boats were thrown into the water, people jumped aboard, but many met their death, in the waters of the lake or under the sword of the Baglioni, Della Corgna, and Della Penna militias.
That desperate escape, recounted in the 16th century by Perugian chronicler Francesco Matarazzo in his "Cronaca della città di Perugia" (Chronic Chronicle of the City of Perugia) and in the following century by Perugian historian Pompeo Pellini in his work "Della Historia di Perugia," has become one of the most fascinating stories in local memory over the centuries.
And it is precisely that episode, the race with the boats on their shoulders and the escape to the water, that is relived every year in the Palio delle Barche (Palio of the Boats).
The Palio delle Barche today
Every summer, on the last Sunday of July, Passignano sul Trasimeno is transformed. The streets fill with color, the district flags flutter in the alleys, and the air is filled with anticipation. The village overlooking Lake Trasimeno experiences one of the most intense moments of the year: the Palio delle Barche (Boat Race).
The protagonists of the challenge are the town's four districts: Centro Storico, Centro Due, Oliveto, and San Donato.
The race begins on Lake Trasimeno, amidst the reflection of the water and the cheering of the spectators. The crews row with all their might to the town's pier. But it is here that the challenge surprises the spectators: the porters lift the boats on their shoulders and set off on a breathtaking race through the alleys of the historic center. The route is challenging and evocative, with climbs, steps, and tight bends that test endurance and determination. Back at the dock, the boats set sail for the final stretch of the lake, where, amid applause and tension, the winning district is decided.
The Palio delle Barche is much more than a race: it's a festival that transforms Passignano into a vast open-air theater for a week.
The districts open their taverns, where you can savor the authentic flavors of Lake Trasimeno and Umbrian tradition, while shows, music, and historical reenactments in costume enliven the streets of the village.