The Contesa del Secchio, the first historical re-enactment of the Marche, is held since 1953. It recalls a tradition of the late Middle Ages born when the Council of the Priori decided to hold a competition between the four Contrade (town districts) of Sant'Elpidio, San Giovanni, San Martino and Santa Maria, to establish the priority of which it was to draw water from the well of the City, so ending the daily uproar among women, with each Contrada taking its own team in single combat with a ball of leather and colored tow, with district symbols.
With the disputed well as a target, and the ball the peaceful weapon, the team that would center more times the well would be given the right, for a whole year, to let the women of its Contrada tap water from it as first.
Still today, every year on the second Sunday of August, more than 800 people enliven a sumptuous parade in Medieval costume where the youth of the Contrade, with the Game of the Well, some kind of exciting basketball, vie for an artistic bucket. Sant'Elpidio a Mare is also transformed on the third week of July: during the three-days Medieval City, the entire historic centre, with over 1,000 walk-ons from the four districts, goes back to the past through scenes and aspects of daily life, entertainment and shows.