A beard contest on the occasion of the
Feast of Barbarossa
. Yeah, in San Quirico, this also happened. There is plenty of inventiveness in this lively and dynamic center of the Val d’Orcia.
It was 1969 and the “Festival of Beards” was held.” precisely in honor of Emperor Barbarossa, on the sidelines of the historical re-enactment. As La Nazione of May 30 writes – and as the book “Il Barbarossa – Cronache e protagonisti di una festa” (Barbarossa – Chronicles and protagonists of a feast) has brought to light – in those days beardsmen from all over Italy arrived, in person and in photos: in the end, given the large number of participants, it was decided by the judges to award only those who showed up in person. “Prizes will be awarded to the beard of Italy, the sprint beard, and the Mephistophelianbeard,” while the Emperor was “aenobarbus” and “the most significant prize obligatorily goes to the electric beard.”
It is also said that the winner was awarded a kiss from Frederick I’s beautiful companion, Beatrice of Burgundy, “a lady of Titian tastes.” It was the first and only edition of this extravagant contest.