A Story in Pictures
Click on photos to enlarge
| 1. Pontremoli, il borgo medievale dominato dal Castello del Piagnaro |
| Pontremoli, the medieval district dominated by the Piagnaro Castle |
| 2. Ogni agosto per quattro giorni la cittadina di Pontremoli ospita una manifestazione medievale |
| Every August for four days the little town of Pontremoli hosts a medieval festival |
| 3. Noi italiani adoriamo qualunque opportunità che ci permette di travestirci e fantasticare |
| We Italians adore any opportunity which allows us to dress up and fantasize |
| 4. Ecco gli arcieri con archi e faretre che portano lo stendardo degli Arcieri della Compania dal Piagnaro |
| Here are the archer with bows and quivers who carry the standard of the Archers of the Piagnaro Company |
| 5. Essere un crociato è una grande responsabilità ….. |
| Being a crusader is a great responsibility ….. |
| 6. … tuttavia, essere una damigella che porta una ghirlanda di fiori è una responsabilità ancora maggiore! |
| … however, being a damsel who carries a garland of flowers is an even greater responsibility! |
Rimanete sintonitazzati per la prossima puntata!
Stay tuned for the next episode!
Comments:
Bill Rohwer:
Che splendido! Grazie Serena. Per favore ci faccia sapere: in quale foto appare Signora Serena?
Diana Freeman:
Grazie mille ! Mi piace agosto festa a Pontremoli.
Jeannet:
Festival italiano on the ‘thrilling-bridge’ in Pontremoli, che bello, grazie Serena.
a presto.
Jeannet
Vince Mooney:
Salve Serena:
What an eye-opener!
I love the pictures! Americans love medieval festivals. We have hundreds of them a year. We even have castles. Yet somehow it just seems odd that Europeans would have generic medieval festivals – as opposed to fairs to celebrate specific historical events – when they live in situ. It seems to be a case of bringing ‘coals to Newcastle’. But I guess not! Sometimes the hardest things to see are the most obvious.
http://www.medievalfair.org/picture_gallery.html
Thanks, and more pictures, please!
Vince
serena:
@Vince Mooney Ciao Vince, hmmm. che commento interessante!
That’s a really interesting point of view, and it highlights the huge cultural difference between America and Italy (I can’t speak for the rest of Europe). Firstly, Medievalis, and in fact any other medieval festival here in Italy is never ‘generic’. Medievalis in Pontremoli is set in 1296 when the emperor Federico II stayed in the town during the wars between the Guelfi and the Ghibellini.
These festivals demonstrate a pride and awareness of our historic past and although there is always an element of fantasy there is also a great deal of authenticity and dedication to detail.
On the other hand, if I’m not mistaken, America was discovered by Cristofo Colombo in 1492, the beginning of ‘Il Rinascimento’, so to me it seems bizarre that you have hundreds of ‘medieval’ festivals in the USA. It’s as if we decided to do cowboy and Indian festivals in our medieval towns here in Italy!
However, having had a look at the photos that you linked to, well to be honest they look to me something like a cross between ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’, and an Italian would probably see it as ‘una bella risata’.
Oh well, I suppose that the important thing is that everyone has a fun time, no?
More photos arriving just about now…
Saluti da Serena
Maria:
Cerco fotografie di Medievalis a Pontremoli 19-22 agosto 2010 (soprattutto della festa al castello) qualcuno mi può aiutare? Grazie Maria
serena:
@Maria Salve Maria, ho messo quasi tutte le foto che ho fatto sul blog! Purtroppo non ne ho nessuna della festa al castello. Tu c’eri?
Hai guardato sul sito web ufficiale? Beh, non è granchè ma magari ci sarà qualcosa!
Saluti da Serena
Jeannet:
Salve Serena,
Summertime festivaltime with splendid colourful
pictures from Pontremoli; -have you yourself been dressed up?
Great joy to look at all of them. Grazie mille.
Jeannet