Ninety Seven Crossbowmen in Renaissance Costume Shot for a Painted Banner in a Tuscan Square
Alessandro Mancini of Gubbio took the Palio della Balestra out of Sansepolcro, denying the home city in a rivalry settled twice a year with fifteenth century weapons.
Alessandro Mancini of Gubbio won the Palio della Balestra in the Piazza Torre di Berta in Sansepolcro on 13 September 2026, carrying the painted banner out of the Tuscan city that had hosted it.
Alessandro Tizzi of Sansepolcro was second and Andrea Rueca of Gubbio third. Ninety seven crossbowmen took part, 55 from Sansepolcro and 42 from Gubbio, short of the record field of 107 set in September 2019. The ceremonial opening shot was fired by Marco Tontini, the 2025 champion.
Competitors shoot the heavy fifteenth century Italian crossbow, standing, at a small target, wearing Renaissance costume. The contest is a two-legged annual rivalry: Sansepolcro travel to shoot at Gubbio in May, and Gubbio come to Sansepolcro in September. Sansepolcro had swept the podium at the Gubbio leg earlier in 2026.
The prize banner was painted by Carlo Trevisan, who was born in Sansepolcro and now works in Verona, and was dedicated to the eight hundredth anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. In it the crossbow progressively takes on the form of a tree of life, accompanied by doves and references to the Canticle of the Creatures.
Two competitors were honoured for longevity. Mario Gherardi was recognised for completing his 108th Palio and Francesco Alessandrini for his hundredth appearance. The town administration said the Palio represents for Sansepolcro much more than a calendar of events, and is history, culture, memory, belonging and participation.