“Banderesi” festivity is a historical-folkloristic re-enactment that origins from a happened event in Bucchianico (Chieti) in the Middle Ages.
The oral tradition wants that around the 1300, when in Abruzzo Citerione there were a lots of autonomy borough authority, due by the royal power (Reign of Naples), Bucchianico has been threatened from the near city of Teate, now Chieti. In fact, Teate’s troops came in proximity of the Bucchianico’s territory borders, threatening to invade it and to submit the country to its jurisdiction.
From the numerous quarter of Bucchianico, the defenseless rural population escaped within Bucchianico’s walls, to put oneself under “Sergentiere”’s protection, the head of the communal troop.
Men, wearing red and blue bands like the city colors (this is the origin of “Banderese” name), moved own supplies in wagons hauled by oxen, while women carried full baskets on the head.
At that time Chieti was militarily stronger than Bucchianico and It would has been surely defeated.
S. Urbano, saint patron of the village, approved in dream to the “Sergentiere”, advised him the military strategy that he would have done surely desist Teate from the attack. In particular, the “Sergentiere” armed all men of the village with armors and multicoloured plumes and he did run them until sunrise, with movements to winding line (so-called "Ciammaichella"), along the walls communication trenches. The alignments, in continuous movement, would had to give to the enemy lookout-posts the illusion of a great army arrived during the night in support of the communal troops. The stratagem succeeded and Teate withdrew own army concluding a pacific negotiation with Bucchianico.
From that moment the citizens of Bucchianico, a token of their gratitude to saint patron, decided to recall every year the happened. The re-enactment has been orally handed from father to son and it arrived till our days.
The Bucchianico’s “Banderesi” tradition and their love for S. Urbano render this manifestation extraordinarily beautiful, thanks to the meticulous and profitable quarter women job during all the year, which realize multicoloured flowers arrangement paper made of absolute relief, demonstrating a superlative ability.
During the festivity it is possible to admire the wagons of quarters and the women with flowers arrangement on baskets on the head that parade along the ways of the village till to arrive to Rome square where they reproduced the famous “Ciammaichella”.