Palio dei colombi in Amelia

The main festival of Amelia in Umbria is the 'Palio dei colombi', which stretches over 2 weeks in late July and early August. The central event is of this boisterous and vivid festival is a contest during which riders on horseback representing the city's five medieval neighborhoods (contrade) compete against one another in a game of quintan. The winner fires a bolt from a crossbow, hits the target and releases a caged pigeon. Easier than it sounds?