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Every year, inhabitants from Montepulciano, a small town in the south of Tuscany that is prized for its delicious wine, come together for one of Italy's most unique festivals.

The barrel-rolling competition, known to the locals as Bravio delle Botti takes place on 26 August, with ceremonies beginning from early in the morning and the barrel race commencing in the evening, once the wine has been flowing.

In the spirit of the European communal festivals of the early modern period, the Bravio delle Botti, which itself dates back to the seventeenth century, brings together competing neighborhoods who roll empty wine barrels through the streets.

Other than bragging rights, the real prize of the race is possession of the Bravio, a sacred cloth adorned with the image of the town's patron, San Giovanni Decollato.

Montepulciano, which is situated in the Tuscan province of Siena, is a medieval and renaissance town that produces famous pork, cheeses pasta and honey, as well as Vino Nobile, one of Italy's most highly regarded wines.

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