The parades that commemorate the famous 1460 battle march through the city center to get blessings for the day. Disfida dei Trombonieri features teams known as "trombonieri," who compete in a series of shooting displays using traditional harquebus-style firearms.
Additionally to the shooting competition, the event features a historical procession with participants dressed in period costumes representing nobles and soldiers, which takes place the evening before the main competition.
Disfida dei Trombonieri History and Traditions
It was in 1460, after the defeat by the Angevins, that the kingdom of Ferrante I of Aragon was in danger. The city of Cava de' Tirreni then experienced one of the heroic moments of its history, refusing to surrender and remaining loyal to the kingdom of Ferrante even after the destruction of their crops by the Angevin commanders. Disfida dei Trombonieri takes place precisely in honor of these historical events.
The trombone player, together with his piston, trombone, or arquebus, is an important figure, absent from other parts of Italy, in the history and folklore of Cava de' Tirreni.
There were different names for the trombone depending on the region. Cava de' Tirreni uses the term "piston" to describe the way it loads (pounds) into the barrel. An average piston weighs 12 kg, and the charge consists of black powder "pounded" with a cylindrical rod called "dust". Today, mercury fulminate primer capsules are used for the explosion.
Today, participants in shooting competitions can be adults of any age, as long as they have a valid permit to own a firearm.
Dates
Disfida dei Trombonieri traditionally takes place on the first Sunday of July.
