Quattro Strade: Festivals, Palio and Running Traditions

Quattro Strade may be a good choice for travelers who want to plan their stay around local festival traditions or an event. The Palio of Perignano, the Festa dell’Incontro, the Festa delle Palle Fritte and Corro con Angelo offer different points of interest: a competition between the Contrade, culinary festival traditions and non-competitive running. When planning a trip, it helps to distinguish specific event dates from a tradition that has continued over time.

Festivals and culinary traditions

The Festa dell’Incontro takes place in Quattro Strade di Perignano. Its edition from June 13 to 21, 2026, has now passed; at the same time, its edition numbering points to a continuing local tradition. The Festa delle Palle Fritte reached its 24th edition in 2026 and offers a culinary highlight. This means trip planning involves two different points of reference: a specific date range that has now passed, and a food festival tradition with a clearly numbered edition.

Palio della Bilancia in Perignano

The Palio della Bilancia, also known as the Palio delle Contrade of Perignano, dates back to 1985. Quattro Strade is one of the six Contrade that take part in the Palio. In a competition format described in 2018, teams carry sacks filled with grain to their Castellane and throw them into a double basket at the end of a balance; the rules may change. The years serve different purposes: 1985 marks the origin of the Palio, while the 2018 description sets out the format at that time. Alongside its historical origins, this gives a specific competition format that distinguishes the Palio from the festivals and the run.

Local names

The official parish name is “Perignano–Quattro Strade – Parrocchia di S. Lucia v. e m. e S. Teresa di Calcutta”. It includes both Perignano and Quattro Strade in the name. The distinction is different for the Palio: it is also called the Palio delle Contrade of Perignano, while Quattro Strade is one of the six participating Contrade. This keeps the regional event name separate from Quattro Strade’s role.

Corro con Angelo: running routes and trip planning

Corro con Angelo is a non-competitive running event in Quattro Strade. It was started by Angelo and a local association; before the 2022 edition, the event had already been held in Quattro Strade for several years. The edition held on Sunday, October 23, 2022, offered a choice of four routes of 3, 7.5, 11 and 18 kilometers. The range from 3 to 18 kilometers means that the longest route is six times as long as the shortest. While the Palio is a team competition, this event focuses on non-competitive running and a choice of route lengths. Since distances may change, if you are planning a trip around the run, check the current date and routes in advance.

Discover more destinations: Cevoli, Ripoli, Lavaiano.

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