pictures of Andrea Bardi

UT ARMENTUR BALISTARI 2013
ALESSANDRO BENASSAI
STILL OF THE PRIOR BALESTRIERI

Despite the wind , despite the cold, despite the rain.
A different start to describe what happened Sunday might not be there.
As every year, the last Sunday of May, our city is alive with the Middle Ages , in the streets we hear the roll of drums and the square turns to host the UT ARMENTUR BALISTARII , the tournament crossbow thanks to which it is decreed the Prior of Balestrieri of this year.
This year , however, you can not really say that everything was done in a spring day in late May, as the cold, wind and rain have made the masters.
But , as we said above , despite the adverse weather conditions , the Company is able to offer a pretty sight , decorating the Piazza dei Priori with the colors of the city and the eight Contradas for the occasion offered to the City their best archers, to supply the army in defense of the City.
Thus, the Balitori were able to admire both the shots of their archers, who twirl the flag-waving of the flags of the Historical Group of Volterra, who entertained tourists and Volterra throughout the event .
A cold Messer Lurinetto announced the assecondarsi of the Districts and the Archers on the shooting bench , announcing each time the archer who passed the turn and had the honor of joining the Company , wearing red rag emblem of the City .
Despite the strong wind the archers were able to provide a good show of fire , creating an exciting challenge among friends – rivals ? , That they have been prepared to direct comparison, before the target dish wheel called ? , And then in the target raised called dogwood ? or rate .
It is with this second shot that each of the eight archers had a chance to win , dropping his arrow at the target and showing , with a single shot simultaneously , their qualities of experience, precision , skill and speed , to get the better on others.
This year, then , as we said before, the adverse weather conditions have created many problems for archers, who, in addition to the usual concentration in the shot , they had to take into account the wind factor ? , That shifting the trajectory of the flight arrows shot , did not guarantee the usual shooting accuracy .
But , as they say in these cases, the conditions were the same for all , and only one had the best archer on the other , throwing their arrow closest to the center of the target.
was precisely the experience that has ensured the victory to ALESSANDRO Benassai , the Bennacchio ? , who competed for the district of Piazza Santa Maria and was awarded the title of Prior dei Balestrieri , inscribing his name again among those who have had a chance to wear the prestigious silver collar symbol of victory.
A renewed confirmation to Alexander, who has already won the title of the prior 4 times before this , and that remains the most successful archer of the Society of Volterra , with its 5 titles Prior dei Balestrieri , obtained the gold medal at the Championships Italian , two wins in the Tournament of LUDUS BALISTRIS and several gold medals in the Regional Tournaments , as well as in other tournaments she has entered the Society .
A well deserved victory for Alexander, which is an expression of undoubted ability on the field of competition , in which he was always generous in his efforts to the team, but also ready and effective in single shot in dogwood .
But the result of Sunday is without doubt an indisputable recognition on a personal level for Alexander , who, as President of the Society Balestrieri, is never stingy in to make themselves available and always try to make things better . Alexander you can certainly define a perfectionist and a hard-nosed archer , thanks to which the company was founded , it has grown and improved , both in the results of the shot in prestige.
Essentially an archer before which even the most ardent rivals can not acknowledge that marksmanship , as well as the passion in the spring and in the group who worthily represents.
And thanks to these qualities on Sunday he got this yet another well-deserved victory , which identifies it as the only archer who has won this tournament for 5 times .
So a good Bennacchio but also to all those who in spite of the wind , despite the cold, despite the rain, ? have contributed to the success of the event .
Thanks to the Committee of the Districts , the group Historical Wavers , who supports us and who allows us to be a close-knit group .
Thank you all and the next challenge.