Let yourself be captivated by the great skill of the Walled Town Flag Wavers, masterfully accompanied by the energy of our drummers and the clear sound of ourclarion players. A clarion is a special trumpet with a lighter and more acute tone. Although with a different name, the group first appeared in 1981 during an event called “Palio dei 10 Comuni del Montagnanese” (a series of medieval competitions between 10 municipalities of the area, taking place every first Sunday of September), when some local youths decided to try their hand at the ancient art of flag-waving.

As they grew in number and prestige, the Musici e Sbandieratori della Città Murata di Montagnana (Musicians and Flag-Wavers of the Walled Town of Montagnana) quickly achieved success in various tournaments at the regional and national level, bringing home many prizes and taking part in severalfolk festivals and cultural events.

In 1989 the team participated in the first Italian Championship of the Italian Federation of Flag-Wavers (F.I.Sb.). Up to now they have always competed in A1-Category Absolute Championship (the top category in order of importance, followed by A2 and A3).

Currently Città Murata has about 60 athletes between flag wavers, drummers and trumpet players. The disciplines they compete in are Single, Couple, Small Team (6 athletes), Grand Team (20 athletes) and Musicians. Multiple aspects are taken into consideration when evaluating their performance, such asfigures, passes, throws and artistic movements. Their workouts are very frequent to ensure proper attention and maximum synchronization in the exercises, so it is not unusual to see them practising as you walkthrough the streets of the town.

Always accompanied by the sound of drums and trumpets, performersare dressed in traditional clothes from the medieval period: they wear red and black costumes (the colours of Montagnana), with a coat of arms representing an eight-pointed star and a winged lion, the typical symbol of Venice and the Veneto Region.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• 9 National titles as Italian Championteam (years 2001-2002-2003-2006-2007-2008-2009-2015-2016);
• 1 first place Traditional Single (2006);
• 3 first places Traditional Couple (2002-2003-2016);
• 9 first places Small Team (2001-2002-2003-2006-2007-2008-2009-2013-2017);
• 10 first places Grand Team (2001-2002–2007-2008-2009-2010-2012-2015-2016-2017);
• 5 first places Musicians (2001-2007-2009-2010-2011);

for a total of 37 national victories, besides several second and third places.

VENETIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

From 1997 to 2009 and from 2011 to 2014, the team won the title of Venetian Champion, thus winning the multi-discipline prize of this Championship.This year our beautiful medieval town will host the 24th edition of the Veneto Music and Flag-waving Championship (in collaboration with FISB, the National Federation): on 10 June 2018 teams from all over the region will compete in the Single, Couple,Small Team, Great Team and Musiciansdisciplines.

TOURNAMENT OF THE MUSICIANS AND FLAG WAVERS OF THE PALIO OF THE 10 MUNICIPALITIES OF THE MONTAGNANESE

From 2006 to 2014 the group conquered the title of Champion in the Tenzone of the 10 Municipalities of the Montagnanese, thus winning the multi-discipline prize.

PERFORMANCES IN ITALY AND ABROAD

The Musicians and Flag-Wavers of the Walled Town of Montagnanahave proudly competed in national and international events all over the world. To name just a few: Gannat (France), Stuttgart (Germany), Castillon de La Plana (Spain), Munich (Germany), New York (United States), Mounlouse (France), Provins (France), Yokohama (Japan), French Riviera (France), Figueras (Spain), Narbonne (France) and Tokyo (Japan).

IMPORTANT EVENTS THE TEAM HAS TAKEN PART IN

2002

• February: one of our flag-wavers was at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in the U.S.A. with the F.I.Sb. National Team;
• September: one of our flag-wavers and one of our musicianswas with the F.I.Sb. National Team atthe closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Toronto and Montreal and at the opening of the 2006 Turin Olympics;
• October: Festival of MedievalMusic and Theater in Alicante, Spain.

2003

• April: Celebration of the annexation of Hungary to the European Community.

2006

• February: 3 of our flag-wavers, 4 drummers and 2 clarion-players were at the Turin Winter Olympics with the F.I.Sb. National Team; a studio recording of two of our tracks accompanying the flagwavers’ performance on TVwas made on that occasion.

2014

• July: the team accompanied Eden Roc at Ludovico Einaudi’s concert in Verona.

INITIATIVES
Since 2000 the Group has organized the Paolo Esposito and Osmildo Toso Memorial in commemoration of two friends and companions who died prematurely. It is an evening dedicated to flag waving and to a memory that will stay forever.

CURIOSITIES
The use of flags was a peculiar characteristic of the Middle Ages. They had a signalling function, marked attacks and retreats and bore the symbols of households and military armies.Flag-wavers wereflanked by musicians (usually cadet sons without possessions),whose function was to intimidate the enemy, give the pace and incite soldiers.