The Barrel Race

Each year Orbetello's five wards - Duomo, Porto, Stazione, Piazza d'Armi and Neghelli - compete in an exciting race aboard "Barchini," the typical flat-bottomed lake boats used for fishing in the lagoon. The festival dates back to the time of the marriage between the Archduchess of Austria and the King of Naples and the Two Sicilies in 1768. The length of the course is about 2400, and the race is opened by a splendid procession in historic dress.