Out of game of flags typical of the medieval and renaissance Italy where it was practiced like a performance together with high athletics and refined elegance, awoke the folklor of the flag typically Italian which is appreciated all over the world and inspired the activities of the group Sbandieratori del “Leone Rampante” (flags-throwing and waving of the “Leone Rampante” group) from Cori, a group which performs waving and throwing flags. Since 1970 they have been well know standard bearers of a genuine and pure tradition on the stages of the mayor international folkloric festivals. The opportunities for the art of the flags were offered during the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance by the tournaments by the Race by the Carousels and by the Knightly tournaments which were carried out within the walls of our villages with a large and sincere popular involvement: opportunities for performances but also a test bed for a contest between the belltowers, which represent moments of a virtual combat among villages, towns, quarters, and districts called together in order to compete knightly in courteous challenge. And, if the competitions culminated in the knightly tournaments, the procession were not less important: the representatives of the respective factions marched in procession carrying the ensign symbol of identification of the town, the district, or the quarter: each faction with its braves jugglers in costume with flags in the colour of the represented community were told to make an exhibition and to show with their own virtuosity, with elegant evolutions, quick movements, studied choreographies, the sound of the trumpets and the rolling of the drums and the ability of the whole community, of the town, and the gate and it was judged with the metre of the applause, the cheers and the approval, in a word with the folk’s enthusiasm. Cori, too owes the rising of its Flag-bearers to its Carosello Storico dei Rioni, a historical carousel of the quarters which awoke 1937 as a recalling in costume of the 16th century of the solemn procession to the sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso with the participation of the whole population and the Magistracy of the town. In compliance with a vow made in 1530 they march in procession in order to express faith and gratitude to the Virgin from the town which escaped a pestilence. The manifestation starts with a rich procession which goes with the votive offering and concludes with the Corsa all’anello and the protagonists are the three gates , the three quarters which divide the town: Porta Signina, Porta Ninfina and Porta Romana, each of them with its own representatives, Prior and Prioress of the quarter, the condottiers, the wards, the soldiers, the pages, the ladies, the musicians, the trumpeters, the valets and the Flag-bearers who go together with representative of the community, the Magistracy of the town. The competition between the districts consist in the Corsa all’anello and each of them trusts in the ability of its horsemen who set of in a race taking the dagger up in order to win rings and then the prize which is adjudged to the gate which achieved the major number of rings in the several races. As one can image the Carosello Storico dei Rioni arises large popular envolvement and stimulates a partisan spirit but like any other contest between bell-towers finishes with general enthusiasm and as a real folk festival which unites in the same way winners and losers. The group of the Sbandieratori del “Leone Rampante” from Cori with its rich costumes realized according to patterns of the 16th century in precious velvet and with colours and designs which are the same as the districts’coat of arms composed with a Standard bearer who opens the procession raising the group’s banner which represents the Rampant Lion (Cori’s coat of arms), with Trumpeters and Drummers who stress and mark the figurations carried out with the flags and finally with the Flag-thrower skilful juggler who perform extraordinary evolutions and elegant vaultings, throws and acrobatic bravery which is the result of an old art which has always been produced by the application of new and bold choreographies: on the whole a performance top-level characterized by great ability and sure theatrical effect: the rolling of the drums and the singing of the trumpets mark the movements, the figurations and the flags bow, vault, interlace in perfect synchrony and spring from hand to hand with grace and prettiness . The Group exhibits itself in procession, in the square and on stages with concerted performances single proof and in couple with one, two and three flags.

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