The competition sees the best shooters from each castle (Municipality) in the Republic challenge each other to compete for the prize: a hand-embossed silver cup; the cup is kept in the winning castle (Municipality) and exhibited in the headquarters of the Giunta di Castello (Municipal Council) for one year, until the next competition, when it is put back up for grabs. 

The protagonists of the event will be the shooters, flag-wavers, musicians and pageants of the San Marino Crossbowmen Federation with their splendid costumes that recall the end of the 1400s.

The San Marino Championship of shooting with the ancient bench crossbow dates back to 1976, twenty years after the birth of the Federation in 1956. It is one of the most important tournaments played by San Marino shooters who generally compete individually, albeit under the banners of their own castle (Municipality), or in international competitions representing the Republic of San Marino. In this competition, the shooter competes for his castle (Municipality).