A DAY OUT IN THE PAST: COSTUME EVENTS
That's medieval entertainment!
Imagine a medieval banquet with damsels, knights and jesters in the shadow of a castle. Well, you can have it – in Grazzano Visconti, in the valley of the Nure, on the last Sunday of May. The Spring Festival (Festa di Primavera) is the largest costume event around Piacenza and Grazzano, a village rebuilt a century ago in the medieval style, provides the perfect background for the costume parades, concerts, dances, tournaments and banquets. The festival commemorates the day when, in 1389, the daughter of the lord of Grazzano, Caterina Anguissola, got married to the brother of the king of France, Louis I d’Orleans. From Grazzano we move on to the castle of Gropparello (789), an old Celtic village with the fi rst park of its kind in Italy, the Parco delle Fiabe (Fairytale Park), located in the middle of an ancient 7-hectare forest. Every Sunday from March to February all visitors, whether adults or children, are dressed in medieval costumes and become characters of themed live performances directed by professional actors. Hungry after the show? Have a picnic in the park (but make sure you don’t leave any litter behind!), or pop into the medieval tavern. Another popular costume event is the medieval dinner held every year in the picturesque square of Castell’Arquato, accompanied by a costume parade.
The Palio of Parma
Setting up an engagement party has always been diffi cult. In 1314 Ghiberto da Correggio, lord of Parma and betrothed to Maddalena Rossi, decided to entertain the hundreds of guests he had invited to his court with a spectacular tournament. That was the fi rst Palio of Parma, a tradition long lost and revived in 1978, since when it has attracted (and keeps attracting) thousands of people. Today’s Palio, held in the most picturesque streets of the old town centre in late September, is exactly the same as it used to be in the 14th century. It consists in a relay race of 5 teams representing the fi ve city gates (porte), each with tights of different colours: green for Porta Santa Croce, white for Porta San Francesco (now Piazzale Barbieri), blue for Porta Nuova (Barriera Farini), yellow for Porta San Michele (Barriera Repubblica) and red for Porta San Barnaba (Barriera Garibaldi).
At the court of Countess Matilda
Countess Matilda of Canossa was probably the most popular ruler Reggio Emilia ever had. This accounts for the several costume events that commemorate the main episodes of her life. The most renowned event is the parade held in Quattro Castella on the last Sunday of May, which re-enacts the day when Matilda was appointed the Emperor’s deputy in Italy (1111). The parade is led by famous personalities dressed as emperor Henry V and Matilda, who, accompanied by several followers, walk down the hill of Bianello up to a playground near the parish church. This is where the real show begins: with medieval games, scenes of everyday life and entertainment such as the quintana dell’anello (a quintain) and performances by fl ag-wavers, drummers and musicians. Another important event is the Palio Matildico in Vetto (second Sunday of July), with demonstrations by craftspeople and traditional games, a costume parade and an old-style market. The Rievocazione Storica Canossana in Ciano d’Enza (fi rst Sunday of September) commemorates Matilda’s role in reconciling emperor Henry IV with Pope Gregory VII. The event features hundreds of costumed characters and a few personalities from Italian showbiz.
Commemorations in the villages around Modena
The best period for historical re-enactments around Modena is between April and September. In April there is the costume parade of Vignola, which is set in the 16th century and celebrates the blossoming of cherry trees. In June, Modena is enlivened by the Serate Estensi – festivals, tournaments, live shows, exhibitions, dances and costume parades. In July, Frassinoro (in the Apennines) celebrates its Settimana Matildica (Matilda’s Week): over 100 costumed characters roam the streets and medieval dishes are served in the local restaurants. In August there is Fiumalbo Autodafé, an open-air re-enactment of a trial by the Inquisition. The characters – monks, sorcerers and peasants – move about the town’s squares and courtyards and along the riverbank, followed by their public. September is the month of Finale Estense in Finale Emilia, which consists of two great costume parades (which involve over 1000 participants), concerts, dances and the Palio delle Cerchie. In the same period there is also the live draughts game in Castelvetro, a homage to the illustrious guest of the local counts Rangoni, poet Torquato Tasso. The Lotta per la spada dei Contrari (“struggle for the Contrari sword”), held in a Savignano sul Panaro in September, is the commemoration of an old rivalry; the old medieval village comes alive with reconstructions of old workshops and taverns, market stalls, jesters, damsels, fire-eaters and tricksters.
The Palio of Ferrara
The Palio of Ferrara is an absolute must-see. It is the world’s oldest palio: its tradition was established by the City of Ferrara in 1279 and didn’t take a break until 1869 (which is a record!). Today a thousand locals dressed as damsels and knights, men-at-arms and musicians take part in the palio. It is held during the last Sunday of May not only because the spring is the best time of the year for open-air events, but also because May was the month of one of the most memorable palios ever – the one celebrating the crowning of Borso d’Este as the Duke of Ferrara. There are eight contending contrade divided into four rioni within the city walls and another four borghi outside the walls. After the costume parade, the contrade have to run four races, one for boys (Corsa dei Putti or Palio di San Romano), one for girls (Corsa delle Putte or Palio di San Paolo), one for donkeys (Corsa delle Asine or Palio di San Maurelio) and the last one for horses (Corsa dei Cavalli or Palio di San Giorgio).
The castle of Stellata and the Salt war
In spite of its fairytale look, the Rocca Possente (“mighty fortress”) of Stellata is a very real historic stronghold, located on the bank of the Po 9 km (about 5.5 miles) from Bondeno. Stellata is an intact 16th-century hamlet surrounded by a green curtain of poplars. Here the Salt war (1482-84) between the Duchy of Ferrara and the Republic of Venice is re-enacted every year in August. The war was waged by powerful Venice, which conquered all the lands of the Duchy up to their last bulwark, small Stellata. At that moment, however, Ferrara was joined by the armies of Ludovico Sforza and the Duke of Urbino Federico da Montefeltro; the latter led all military actions until he fell ill and died from malaria. Commemorations involve 200 costumed participants and a full two days of painstakingly accurate re-enactments of the attack to the fortress, with reconstructions of the military camps and everyday medieval scenes, food, music and jugglers. All shows and exhibitions are free.
The Palio del Niballo
Seeing the Palio del Niballo is like living a day in 14th-century Faenza – and enjoying it, too. The palio, held on the last Sunday of June, attracts an increasing number of visitors every year thanks to its successful formula, both traditional and exciting. Flag-wavers, cavaliers and drummers dressed in the colours of the town's fi ve contending rioni (White, Yellow, Black, Red and Green) fl ood the most charming parts of the old town centre, accompanied by the pounding of drums. The palio proper consists in hitting a revolving dummy with a spear. The dummy is fashioned as a Saracen warrior (called the “Niballo”) and the idea is to get your horse to run past faster than the Niballo turns. In June, before the palio, the rioni warm up with fl ag-waving and music competitions and the Bigorda d'Oro (a palio for younger racers). And of course, one needs to eat properly to be fi t and win: banquets go on for weeks, and visitors are welcome to join in!
The marriage of Roberto Malatesta and Elisabetta da Montefeltro (1475)
In late June 1475, when ruthless Roberto Malatesta "Il Magnifico" (The Great), the son of powerful Sigismondo, married Elisabetta, the daughter of Duke Federico da Montefeltro, the grand ceremony was followed by a week's celebrations. Their union was dictated not only by love but also by political strategy, as the Malatesta wanted to have their powerful neighbours, the Montefeltro, on their side rather than set against them. Today, the old town centre of Rimini provides the background for the re-enactment of that marriage and offers a full week of non-stop costume events and live shows with jesters, musicians and flag-wavers performing alongside food stalls which serve dishes made according to medieval recipes (from the afternoon until midnight). Just stroll around the town to see jugglers on stilts, men-atarms, crossbowmen, drummers, dancers, falconers, carousels and duels. The grand finale is the medieval dinner and fireworks show. And if you want to know more about the Malatesta family, go to one of the conferences on their history which are held every day at the Lapidario Romano of the Museo della Città (Via Tonini 1), or join a guided tour of Castel Sismondo, the Tempio Malatestiano and the Museo della Città.
Mondaino: the palio del daino
The palio in Modaino and the festival of Saludecio (both near Rimini) are outstanding events. Mondaino was the favourite town of the Malatesta; it takes its name from the fallow deer (daino in Italian) that once abounded in the area and also from an old temple dedicated to the Roman hunting goddess Diana. Its main highlights are the curiously semicircular piazza lined with porticoes and the fortress, which survived many a fierce battle. The palio del daino, held during the second half of August in the central piazza, features parades, performances and contests among the four contrade, but also the reconstruction of old workshops and taverns offering samplings of medieval food. A more recent historical period, the 19th century, is revived in nearby Saludecio during the Ottocento Festival (first half of August), and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Anybody can get make-up and a costume from one of the dedicated stalls of the market and take part in this collective ride back into the past. It is also an occasion to see the town, which is full of beautiful churches, palaces, mural paintings, towers, castles and a small aromatic garden (right outside Porta Romana).
