THE CROSSBOW THAT WENT INTO SPACE
Sansepolcro, a small medieval town near Arezzo (Tuscany) has announced that its annual crossbow contest will he held this year between the 1st and 13th September 2026. One of Italy's most spectacular historic revocation events, the tournament between skilled marksmen handling the deadliest weapons prior to the advent of firearms is accompanied by grand pageantry, costumed processions, a recreated renaissance market, and demonstrations by the local flag-throwing group who claim to base their movements on the geometrical figures used by the town's most famous son – the great rennaissance artist Piero della Francesca.
The Crossbow contest between Sansepolcro and nearby Gubbio is documented from 1594 and is probably much older. Sansepolcro's Crossbow Society is very active and has its headquarters and museum inside a medieval house believed to have belonged to Piero della Francesca. The small, narrow rooms of the Museum display costumes, flags (including a silk banner dating from 1700), as well as crossbows ranging from the soldier's small portable weapons to gigantic models for long distance shots from battlements.
One very special exhibit is the “Petra de Burgo”, a crossbow which was carried on board the Shuttle Mission “Endeavour” in May 2011 by the astronaut Roberto Vittori, of the European Space Agency (ESA), who had family connections with the area.
