The Final Part of our Story in Pictures
Click on photos to enlarge
| 1. L’accampamento: alla sera il cibo viene cucinato alla luce delle torce su fuochi all’aperto. Per fortuna il tempo è stato perfetto! |
| The encampment: in the evening food is cooked by torchlight over open fires. Luckily the weather was perfect! |
| 2. In piazza due ragazzi lottano per chi deve pagare il caffè … |
| In the piazza two lads fight it out over who should pay for the coffee … |
| 3. … nel frattempo un giovane cavaliere studia la loro tecnica |
| …meanwhile a young knight studies their technique |
| 4. Per secoli i pellegrini sono passati per Pontremoli. Questo porta un simbolo tradizionale del pellegrino, la conchiglia di Santiago di Compostella, intorno al collo |
| For centuries pilgrims have passed through Pontremoli. This one carries a traditional pilgrim symbol, the Santiago di Compostella shell, around his neck |
| 5. Un ingrediente vitale in ogni manifestazione italiana … CIBO! Queste taverne offrono, fra le altre cose: focaccette, birra, porchetta, la famosa ‘torta d’erbi’ di Lunigiana e Spongata |
| A vital ingredient at any Italian event … FOOD! These ‘snack bars’ offer, amongst other things: focaccette, beer, roast pig, the famous Lunigiana torta d’erbi (vegetable pie), and Spongata (a traditional local sweet cake). |
| 6. Durante Medievalis il centro storico è pieno di bancarelle che vendono oggetti d’antiquariato, cianfrusaglie e artigianato locale |
| During Medievalis the historic center is full of stalls selling antiques, knick knacks, and local crafts |
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7. Le mie amiche Donatella e Francesca gestiscono la ‘Antica Legatoria’ a Pontremoli. Qui Donatella fa una dimostrazione di come crea libri rilegati in pelle utilizzando il tradizionale telaio. In un blog prossimo venturo ci sarà un’intervista con Donatella e Francesca
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My friends Donatella and Francesca run ‘The Old Bookbinding Shop’ in Pontremoli. Here Donatella demonstrates how she creates leather bound books using the traditional book frame. There will be an interview with Donatella and Francesca in an upcoming blog
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| 8. Annalisa e suo marito Claudio creano gioielli, lampade e così via col nome d’arte di ‘Diramazioni’, utilizzando soprattutto rame, pelle e pietre semi preziose. Ancora una volta in un blog a venire ci sarà un’intervista con Annalisa |
| Annalisa and her husband Claudio make jewelry, lamps and so on under the name of ‘Diramazioni’, using mainly copper, leather and semi-precious stones. Once again, in an upcoming blog there will be an interview with Annalisa |
These three blogs have been a snapshot of just a few of the elements of Medievalis in Pontremoli 2010. The core of the festival is based in the year 1226 when the emperor Federico II stayed in the town during the wars between the Guelfi and the Ghibellini.
These photos will also give you a flavor of many of the other festivals that are taking place all over Italy, each celebrating their own particular piece of local history and culture.
As we left the festival at around midnight on Sunday, the last words we heard was the cynical, half desperate cry of one of the local lads: ‘da domani comincia il vero Medioevo qua!’ (from tomorrow the real Medieval times begin here! -i.e. the festival is over, taking with it all the life and fun – I think you’d have to know Pontremoli to understand how funny this is).
2 Comments
Salve Serena:
You mentioned ‘Il Rinascimento’ in a comment.
I should point out that we also have many “Renaissance Faires” in the USA as well as Medieval festivals. I would estimate that there are hundreds of them.
http://www.renaissance-festivals.com/
These events celebrate a period in history and not any given historical event or country. These events often last three days and much food and artifacts are sold. The tents and vendors are not unlike the pictures you have posted here.
As far as I know, Medieval festivals will have knights in armor, and tournaments, sometimes even jousts. The Renaissance Faires will have more music, dancing, more beautiful clothing, and perhaps demonstrations of craftsmen making things as they did in the Renaissance period.
There is a good selection of period clothing for sale on the internet at reasonable prices. For myself, I’d like to look my best when I meet Dante. (actually, Beatrice). : )
Vince
Ciao Serena, riusciresti a farmi avere un cd con le foto che hai fatto te a Medievalis visto che quelle che hai messo sul blog sono molto belle? Ti ringrazio in anticipo e contattami pure via email sulla casella di posta che ti ho dato.
Ciao ciao, Davide