Fête de la Quintaine à Saint-Léonard de Noblat

Quintaine Festivalto Saint-Léonard de Noblat in autumn

Fête de la Quintaine in Saint-Léonard de Noblat

The people of Saint-Léonard de Noblat are keen to preserve the age-old traditions of Limousin. In this medieval town, ancestral festivals dating back to the Middle Ages are perpetuated.

While the arrival of summer saw the celebration of the Feast of Saint Martial, in autumn it’s time for the Quintaine! Originally an equestrian joust for military training, the Fête de la Quintaine has been maintained over the centuries as a traditional game linked to the cult of the town’s founding saint. 🐎

Fete Traditionnelle De La Quintaineville De Saint Leonard De Noblat

What is the Quintaine?

Léonard is the patron saint of prisoners and pregnant women. He is credited with freeing many prisoners, which made him very popular in France and throughout Europe… leading to the construction of the collegiate church of Saint-Léonard de Noblat, dedicated to his cult and pilgrimage!

Every year, during the Fête de la Quintaine, an equestrian game is organized to symbolically thank the liberating saint. Riders armed with sticks gallop off to destroy a small wooden prison designed for the occasion.

DID YOU KNOW?

Once you’ve completed the game, be sure to take home a fragment of the Quintaine… It’s said to have the power to protect your home! 🍀

Before the festival

Are you coming to the Fête de la Quintaine in Saint-Léonard de Noblat? Discover the program for this ancient festivity.

A number of events are scheduled in connection with the Quintaine: conferences, exhibitions, a solemn mass, a concert… Find the full program here!

But it’s the day before, on Saturday November 17, that the festivities get underway:

6pm: Ringing of the denarii. The confrères ring the bells and launch the festivities by giving coins and sweets to the children.
6:30pm: Concert in the collegiate church by the St Léonard choir and the Dante Alighieri choir

Songs At The Traditional Quintaineville Festival In Saint Leonard De Noblat

The Quintaine program

The real Quintaine Festival takes place on Sunday November 17:

9:30am: gather at the Pont de Noblat, invoke the saint before the statue, then the Quintaine is carried by the confreres into the historic center.
10:15am: gathering in front of the collegiate church and mass
2:30 pm: Quintaineprocession through town with riders from Place du Champ de Mars to Place de la Libération
3:00 p.m.: time for horseplay! The Quintaine is broken by the galloping riders and its pieces distributed to the spectators.
6 p.m.: Salve Regina on the collegiate church square, followed by a procession with brandons and music through the town, then a bonfire on Place de la République.

Practical info

Free admission

Access to the Quintaine Festival is free and open to all! Believers and non-believers alike are welcome!

RDV place de la Libération

The main event takes place on the Place de la Libération, but the Quintaine also takes place throughout the historic heart of Saint-Léonard de Noblat.

Every autumn

La Quintaine takes place on the 2nd Sunday after November 5 (November 6 marks the anniversary of the saint’s death) → See you on November 17, 2024!