Among the folklore events, the
Calendimaggio festival is the most famous.
It’s a festival of profane origin, during three days and starting on the first Thursday of May (the second Thursday when the first one is the 1st of May) It’s the celebration of springtime with an explosion of songs, music, and flowers in which all the people of Assisi participate with accurately reproduced medieval period costumes.
May 1 marks the official return of Spring. Dating from the pre-Christian times, this "
Calends of May" festival revives the town's folklore and historical traditions. Both the citizens and the town are divided into the "
Upper" and the "
Lower" city and at this annual festival they commemorate old rivalries in medieval costumes.
The two ancient medieval wards, the "Parte di Sopra" and the "Parte di Sotto", engage in a spectacular challenge which takes the form of theatre shows, concerts, songs and choruses, dances, processions, archery, crossbow and flag-waving displays. The districts compete in a singing contest among the spectacular floral decorations, flags, torches and candle - all accompanied by the proclamation of the "Queen of Spring" and riotous feasting in the taverns.