Sbandieratori from Itally to Wellington

Sbandieratori from Italy to Wellington

The New Zealand Italian Festival is coming soon, bringing Wellington an incredible range of food, art, and entertainment, all

with Italian flair and flavours. The Festival will be at the Westpac Stadium on 6th November and will showcase all that Italy is famous for, from fashion to motors, music to travel,

and, of course, an exquisite selection of food

and beverages for everyone to enjoy.

This year, we are honoured to have some

very special guests from Italy who will perform

at the Festival: the Sbandieratori, a group of

Italian flag wavers who will also take part in other smaller

events around Wellington in the week leading up to the Festival.

Flags have been used since early history to

indicate different groups, military or

otherwise, and as a decoration for different celebrations. There is historical evidence of the

use of flags since the times of Babylonia

where armies would use them to

distinguish themselves from other nations and

would cherish them as a symbol of identity.

Nowadays, flag waving is very popular

in Italy. Every town and village have their own

historical re-enactments taking place every

year to celebrate their history and

cultural heritage through parades, shows and

food. These are occasions during which you

can admire characters with elegant

medieval clothing and enjoy dance, shows

and music from the past. The Italian Sbandieratori (Flag Wavers) are present at these events, as well; indeed, their

performances are always the highlight of any festival.

Each town has its own

group, and some of  the more popular ones

travel throughout Italy, Europe and the

rest of the world with their shows. Flag waving

competitions are organised in Italy every year

and attended by thousands of people. There is also

an annual national tournament where more than

100 cities participate. The most important (and heart-felt)

competitions, however, are the ones in

which groups of flag wavers from the same

town challenge each other to win their

‘Palio’ (a banner awarded to the winner of a

competition).

The Flag Wavers we will host at The Italian Festival

are from the city of Faenza in the Emilia

Romagna region. They boast a very

long flag waving tradition with 30 Italian

Tournaments won in the last 45 years.

We look forward to their very first visit to

New Zealand, certain that the presence of Sbandieratori will

give The Italian Festival even more colour this year.