Our First 40 Years - June 9, 2013

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The castle of the Captain of the Artillery, the last outpost of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany built in 1564 to guard the Florentine Gate on the border with the Papal State on the road from Florence to Forlì, was the object of a coup today, 9 June 2013, which will go down in history as “THE BATTLE OF THE SARDONE”.

Riziero the Magnificent, also known as THE GOOD TIME for his well-known weather connections, and Vittorio Pelloni, more COURTEOUS than PASSATORE, two of the most dangerous people in all of Florentine Romagna, dedicated to brigandage and social banditry, with the help of the marble Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, aka SIGARILLO, have put into action a cunning plan that I am going to tell you.

The noble goal was to open a breach in the castle walls that would allow the entry of a modern Trojan horse pulled by Master Tonino Vasi and Donna Teresa from that distant land so dear to Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, known as the wolf of Rimini, while the handsome Paolo seduced his sister-in-law Francesca. (Speaking of Trojan horses!)

The project was ambitious and the undertaking far from easy, as the castle was a fortress firmly defended by a garrison of 60 men-at-arms in the pay of Infanta Anna Ludovica de Medici and commanded by the Captain of the Artillery, Vladimir the Great, famous for his delegating rather than rampant imagination.
 
Those three crafty fellows BUON TEMPONE, CORTESE and SIGARILLO know this well, so much so that their diabolical minds have devised a way to strip the fortress of its garrison, driving away the men-at-arms and their Captain without bloodshed or a shot being fired.

It is said that in the nearby Republic of San Marino there lives a certain Stefano de Pezzi who, under the direct authority of the Great and General Council, has the task of timing, day and night, the passage of the fortress guards along the patrol paths in order to monitor their times and rhythms for the benefit of the Captains Regent who are grappling with a "titanic" spending review.

A tip-off to Vladimir the Great and a minute later the entire garrison is outside the fortress playing with skittles and stopwatches in a large parade ground where a specially trained Stefano de Pezzi is busy distracting the crowd by doubling the stakes.
 
Poor Anna Ludovica, left alone and defenseless, had no choice but to wave the white flag and offer her assistance to Master Tonino and Donna Teresa, who, having positioned their weapons and set fire to the gunpowder, began the noblest of all rites.

The intense and delicate scent of broom gradually fades, giving way to a stronger odor of grilled and fried mixed meats, which soon reaches the nostrils of the men-at-arms, who, realizing the deception, jump onto their steeds, fearful of missing even a single fruit of the Adriatic Sea.

Stefano de Pezzi himself will dismantle the whole thing in a record time of 1 minute and 25 hundredths of a second with zero penalties.

Surprise of surprises, the BATTLE OF THE SARDONE will end in nothing like that Waltz.

Fritto misto, Trebbiano, and Sangiovese will warm an atmosphere already filled with joy, and a general enthusiasm, transformed into individual euphoria, will generate moments of marked conviviality. Applause, thanks, cups, kisses and hugs, farewells filled with warmth and affection, and the usual sadness that comes with farewells, but also a great sense of satisfaction at the knowledge of having given and received so much.

We celebrated our first 40 years like this, with simplicity and warmth in a mix of history, nature, sportsmanship and good food, in the company of new and old friends, some of whom came from far away just for the pleasure of a few hours together to tell us stories of past misadventures that, over time, became fascinating adventures.

Thank you Anna for making your beautiful historic home available, a charming setting for this special event.

Thank you to all of you who made this event possible with your presence.

Thanks to you members who dedicated your time to the organization and to you rangers of the day for the beauty of the route.

Thank you, Tonino and Teresa, for your professionalism continues to earn us praise, even in adverse weather conditions and with facilities that aren't always conducive to the success of your work.

Thank you Stefano for your contagious enthusiasm, which will surely have a following among regularity enthusiasts.

Finally, thank you, Vladimiro, for with your imagination, whether delegating or rampant, you always provide us with new opportunities for wonderful encounters in MG.

P. Paolo Parma