For a small region Umbria offers a great wealth of traditional events which recall and consolidate the links with medieval tradition, bringing back to life the customs and practices of a bygone era which continues to fascinate and enchant, thanks also to the numerous testimonies which have reached us today. Pervaded by a strong sense of spirituality and religion, homeland to some of the greatest saints to have ever existed (San Francesco and Santa Chiara of Assisi, Santa Rita of Cascia), this land is rich in celebrations of mystical and devotional character. Many also are the performances and festivals linked to country and popular tradition, such as those that mark the awakening of the Spring and the reawakening of nature as well as the people’s festivals which relate to particular aspects of local life. On these occasions, popular culture, often relegated to the margins of institutions and history, acquiresits own recognition: folklore, through the spectacular historical commemorations of customs, comes to represent an entire community, from the peasant to artisan classes and civil to religious authorities.