A celebration of the ancient traditions of lumberjacks

The Palio del Boscaiolo (Woodcutter’s Palio) is an event aimed at recovering the best tradition of woodcutters, those who for centuries have beaten the woods of Mount Amiata, protecting a heritage of techniques and knowledge. It takes place on the third Sunday in October in Vivo d’Orcia, a small paesa among the most interesting in the Val d’Orcia from a naturalistic point of view. Totally nestled among chestnut forests at an average altitude of 930 meters above sea level, Vivo d’Orcia, is divided into two districts, the Caselle (the downstream part of the village) and the Pian delle Mura (the upstream part), which compete in a race at the medieval village of Eremo.

The competition consists of cutting, using the classic “sawhone” into six parts, a log with a diameter of about 60 cm, for the making of six chairs, and another log with a diameter of about 25 cm, for the making of six bowls into which the polenta to be poured, which in the meantime will be prepared by competitors not engaged in cutting the logs.

The rehearsal ends when all six contestants from each ward are seated at a table with polenta poured over the bowls. The ward that wins the trial is awarded the Palio, a painted banner painted by local artists.