If you want to take a trip back in time, the Palio de La Marciliana is the event for you. This evocative historical reenactment in Chioggia brings to life the events of the war between Venetians and Genoese and celebrates the city’s rich medieval past.
Between the 13th and 14th centuries, Chioggia was one of the main commercial centers of the Adriatic thanks to the salt trade.
During the two Fiera Franche dedicated to the Madonna, organized in August and September coinciding with the peak production period of the salt pans, the city was filled with merchants, sailors, and travelers from all over to purchase the precious Chioggian salt.
It was this prosperous reality that the Genoese conquered in August 1379, during the Assumption Fair, discovering warehouses full of salt, ships loaded with goods, and treasures of great value.
Today, the Palio de La Marciliana brings that era back to life with crossbowmen, armored soldiers, drummers, and hundreds of performers in medieval costumes animating the streets of the city.
