Palio dei Lumi

Palio dei Lumi | Costumed Football Tournament in honour of the Blessed Virgin of the Lights, patron saint of Pieve Santo Stefano
 
In Pieve Santo Stefano, the Madonna dei Lumi has been celebrated every 7–8 September for over 390 years now.
 
The story goes that towards the end of 1589, a supernatural event shook the entire population: during the night, crowds of angels were seen, torches in hand, moving from the small temple of Colledestro towards an icon depicted on the wall of a wayside shrine located along the road leading to the nearby town of Sansepolcro.
 
The modern-day festival begins every 7 September at dusk with the lighting of the neighbourhood illuminations and the traditional procession, which follows the same route as that of 1589; along the way, near the banks of the Tiber, two large haystacks are set alight on the riverbed.
 
The following day, 8 September, is marked by the final of the ‘Palio dei Lumi’ – a football match in period costume set in the modern era: records of a Palio in honour of the Madonna dei Lumi date back to 1767, when it was contested on horseback, as reported by the *Gazzetta Toscana*: “Once the evening prayers were over, a Palio involving seven horses was held, and at dusk (on 8 September) a magnificent display of fireworks was set off in that square.”
 
The two days of festivities conclude with a tombola in the square at 11.00 pm and a fireworks display scheduled for midnight.