The first Sunday after Easter marks the feast of the Madonna di San Giovanni, an image venerated for centuries in this town in the Piceno region; in the first half of the 20th century, Monsignor Pietro Ossola designated her patroness of the diocese and co-patroness of the city.
Tradition traces the origins of the "Cavallo" back to May 10, 1682, the day Bishop Giovan Giorgio Mainardi solemnly crowned the statue of the Virgin. A pyrotechnician from Atri, hired for the occasion, was the first to improvise the spectacle. He "rode a horse that was completely packed with fireworks, circling the square several times while constantly shooting off rays and other pyrotechnic novelties." The event so thrilled the local residents that they began to reenact it annually. Initially, they continued to use a live animal; records show that as late as 1701, a citizen named Pietro Marenzi performed the spectacle astride a real horse.
Later, the animal was replaced by a replica. Originally made of wood, it was carried on the shoulders of the town's strongest citizen until 1932. Subsequently, it was deemed more practical to mount it on wheels and a tow-bar, allowing it to be pulled by volunteers wearing protective clothing and gear. In 1994, a new "Cavallo" made of sheet iron, built based on the design of the previous one,replaced the wooden figure.
The "Cavallo di fuoco" (Fire Horse) follows an established ritual that has been enriched over the years with new elements, largely through the spontaneous initiative of young people. The spectacle takes place in the early evening, under the cover of darkness, in Piazza Matteotti and Piazza Condivi, right in front of the Cathedral.
Around 9:00 PM, the “Cavallo” is collected and led along the town's panoramic ring road. At Largo Speranza, it meets the "Città di Ripatransone" marching band, arriving from Piazza Condivi to the strains of the traditional *March No. 23* by Maestro Vincenzo Guarino. Thanks to the *Cavallo di Fuoco*, this composition, popularly known simply as "Ventitré", has risen to the status of a veritable town anthem.
Making its way along the long Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the mock animal is finally led to the forecourt of the 16th-century cathedral. In addition to the music, the Cavallo is accompanied by the spontaneous, spirited displays of the young people following it, featuring the clanging of cowbells and stadium-style chants.
Sources: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavallo_di_fuoco