Tvoi ConciergeGiostra del Saracino in Arezzo, From a Seat on Piazza Grande
Seats in the square or a private balcony above it, a hotel in the centre or a villa in the countryside, a driver and the dinners around the joust.
The Giostra del Saracino is a medieval joust run twice a year in Arezzo's Piazza Grande: at night on the second-to-last Saturday of June (the Giostra di San Donato) and by day on the first Sunday of September (the Giostra della Madonna del Conforto). Eight knights, two from each of the city's four quartieri, charge the Buratto, a mechanical effigy of the King of the Indies that spins and swings a three-tailed flail back at them, and the winning quartiere carries off the Lancia d'Oro. Seats around the square are few and the best of them go within hours of release.
When It Happens
Two editions a year on a fixed rhythm. The June joust runs at night on the second-to-last Saturday of the month; the September joust runs by day on the first Sunday, opening in Piazza Grande in the late afternoon, around 5 pm. The 2026 editions were held on 20 June and 6 September, the September running being the 150th. In 2027 the pattern falls on 19 June and 5 September, with the city confirming the calendar a few months ahead.
How to Attend and Where to Watch
Piazza Grande is ringed with numbered grandstands, with cheaper standing sectors as well. Tickets go on sale about a week before the joust, first at a ticket office in the city and then online, and the best sectors sell out almost immediately: standing costs about 10 euros, while a grandstand seat runs from roughly 30 euros in the highest sector to 100 for an armchair seat in the best one. The finest view of all is from the windows and balconies overlooking the square. Those belong to residents, are agreed directly with the owners and never reach public sale, which is why they have to be secured long in advance.
Where to Stay and Logistics
There are only a handful of hotels inside Arezzo's walls and they fill for both joust weekends well ahead. We reserve a room in the historic centre or a villa in the Valdichiana and the hills around Cortona, 20 to 40 minutes away. From the morning of the joust the centre is closed to traffic on top of the usual ZTL, so your driver sets you down at the perimeter and the last stretch is on foot. Arezzo sits about an hour from Florence by car or by train on the Florence to Rome line.
What We Arrange
Your seat or balcony
Grandstand seats in the best available sector, or a private window or balcony over Piazza Grande when one can be secured with its owner.
Hotel or villa
A room inside Arezzo's historic centre, or a villa in the Valdichiana or near Cortona with space for a family or a group.
Driver and access
A private driver for the whole day, routed around the road closures and the ZTL, with a clear drop-off and pick-up point agreed in advance.
Private guide
A guide who explains the four quartieri, the rules of the charge against the Buratto and the corteo storico, in Russian, Italian, German or English.
Dining and the rest of the weekend
Restaurant tables, a place at the quartiere dinners on the eve of the joust where possible, and the Fiera Antiquaria on the September weekend.
A Sample Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival and check-in. A walk through the old town with your guide: Piazza Grande and the Vasari loggia, the Pieve di Santa Maria, the Piero della Francesca frescoes in the Basilica di San Francesco, which need a timed ticket. In the evening each quartiere lays long tables in the square beside its headquarters.
Day 2
Joust day. A slow morning in the centre, or the antiques fair if it is the September weekend, then lunch. The corteo storico of more than 300 costumed figures, riders, musicians and flag throwers moves through the city, and the joust itself follows from your seat or balcony. The winning quartiere celebrates in its own streets late into the night.
Day 3
An unhurried morning, then a drive to Cortona or a tasting at a Valdichiana wine estate before the transfer on to Florence, the coast or the airport.
When to Book
Three to six months before the date. The tickets themselves only go on sale about a week ahead, but everything that makes the weekend work, a central hotel or a villa, a driver, a guide and above all a private balcony, is agreed months earlier. We hold the plan ready and act the moment tickets are released.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Giostra del Saracino held?
Twice a year in Arezzo's Piazza Grande: at night on the second to last Saturday of June, and by day on the first Sunday of September. The 2026 editions fell on 20 June and 6 September.
Can you still get places once tickets have sold out?
Often yes. We follow the release about a week before and, separately, negotiate windows and balconies on the square with their owners, which are never part of the public sale.
Should we stay in Arezzo or in the countryside?
In the centre if you want to walk to the square and stay for the celebrations; in a villa near Cortona if you are travelling as a family and want space, with a driver covering the 20 to 40 minutes each way.
Is the Fiera Antiquaria on the same weekend?
By the calendar, yes. Italy's oldest antiques fair, with around 400 exhibitors, is held on the first Sunday of every month and the Saturday before. Its layout around Piazza Grande shifts when the joust field is in place, so we confirm nearer the date.
Let Us Plan Your Giostra Weekend
Tell us which edition you want and how many of you are travelling, and we will build the weekend end to end: seats or a balcony, accommodation, driver, guide and the table for dinner.