The “United in Friendship” palio returns to Rab. Winning the 2026 edition, held on Saturday, September 12 in the Cava dei Balestrieri in San Marino, was Ivica Macolić, who prevailed in the traditional contest between crossbowmen from San Marino and their counterparts from the Croatian city.
For Macolić, this is not his first triumph on the Titan. The crossbowman from Rab had already won the palio in 2024, and two years later he has once again etched his name into the record books. Second place went to Mirco Battazza, while Nikola Barčić rounded out the podium.
The competition was the centerpiece of an afternoon that began with the Historical Parade through the districts of the old town, followed by the Court Dance and performances by the flag-wavers and musicians of the Federation of San Marino Crossbowmen (Federazione Balestrieri Sammarinesi).
The palio renews, year after year, the historic bond between San Marino and Rab, twinned since 1968 — a relationship that also directly involves their respective crossbow traditions: in 1995, the founding of Rab’s crossbow group was supported by the expertise of San Marino’s own marksmen.
Since then, the competition has become one of the signature events celebrating the friendship between the two communities. This year, it was Rab’s turn to celebrate, thanks to another bull’s-eye from Macolić.
