Event: Italy

Flying Falcon Joust

When:	10 Aug 2008 (various dates)
Where:	Massa Marittima
Costs:	Free to watch

Balestro del Girifalco is a fabulous crossbow shooting contest between the different districts of Massa Marittima, an unexpected little gem of a town in the wilderness of the Maremma. It is held twice a year, in May and in August.

The contest culminates in a competition to shoot down a mechanical falcon, followed by an orgy of food, drink and merriment. Colourful parades brighten up the townscape of this small and relatively undiscovered haven, and the air is full of excitement.

The crossbow may seem like a strange and outmoded weapon to practice, but it is far from a joke: in its time it was a fearsome weapon, capable of penetrating thick suits of armour, and its arrival heralded radical changes in the tactics and strategies of the battlefield. So be warned: don't try this at home!