Festa della Chinea: Tradition and the 'Exotic' in Roman Festival Design

The book chapter examines an ancient festival in Rome, called the Festa della Chinea, which is regarded as one of the oldest festival events in the Eternal City established in the early middle ages and terminated in the late 18th century. Whilst most research on the festival has focused on the ephemeral constructions of the Chinea that were built from the late 17th century, this chapter attempts to trace the original symbolic meanings of the event, drawing upon etymological sources, equine/triumphal symbolism and ritual topography. The chapter traces the changes in the significance of the festival in the life of the city, and how the dominance of aesthetic concerns and 'exotic' themes in the 18th century gave rise to the obscuring of the festival's original purpose. The chapter was originally presented a paper to a conference on festivals organised by Birmingham City University in November 2017.