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These
are the characteristic races of ox-drawn carts. Every year at San
Martino in Pensilis, on 30th April, the feast of San Leo,
the Carrese re-enacts the arrival of the Saint's remains in the
town, which took place, in point of fact, on a cart drawn by oxen. The
competition sees the “parties” of the giovanotti, of the giovani
and of the cittadella vying with each other. The winning cart has
the honour of carrying the statue of San Leo during the 2nd
May procession.
At
Ururi, the carrese is linked to the worship of the holy
relic (a piece of Christ's cross). On 3rd May, day of the
Holy Cross, the carts are driven to the church of the Madonna delle
Grazie where they are blessed; they then go to a place outside the town
from where the race will start. The winning cart will have the honour of
carrying the relic of the cross in the procession, held on the following
day.
The
Carrese of Portocannone also came into being as a result of the
need to celebrate a religious anniversary (Madonna di Costantinopoli,
the Monday after Pentecost). Each cart is preceded by a cateniere,
i.e. a horse-rider who rides in front of his own cart ‘pulling it’
with a strong rope. The route is just over 3 km and leads from the
countryside around the town to the Chiesa Madre. The wining cart will
carry the statue of the Madonna in procession.
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