Cavalieri di Ildebrandino: the campsite at the Rocca di Suvereto
Suvereto is famous for its rich historical and architectural heritage, which dates back to the medieval period. The village still retains many of its original features, with cobbled streets, ancient stone buildings, walls and towers that bear witness to its centuries-old history. Therefore, there could not be a more evocative place to retrace habits and customs of the Middle Ages. The company i Cavalieri di Ildebrandino was founded in 2008 by a group of enthusiasts to celebrate the ancient past of Suvereto and promote chivalric culture through the practice of medieval fencing and historical re-enactment. The costumes used are treated in detail and made after a careful study of the materials and styles of the time.
Starting this year, everyone will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the medieval world and customs by visiting the knights’ camp located near the Rocca di Suvereto and open every weekend until September starting at 18.00. A different way to experience the village with children, with explanations from the knights of the Company, the opportunity to try on helmets, swords and knight’s hoods. My children had a lot of fun, they dressed up as knights, peasants, they saw how a fire is lit and they learned many new things about the Middle Ages and the life of the knights.
Fights and representations: medieval festivals
The Company of the Knights of Ildebrandino is also called upon to participate in medieval events and festivals around Italy and Tuscany.
The fights that are represented are real and at the same time theatrical, spectacularization, but these are real contact blows, the result of the study and experimentation of the fencing techniques present in ancient treatises such as the Flos duellatorum and the manuscript 1-33. One-handed sword, shield and buckler, bastard sword, axe, spears, staves,
Cavalieri di Ildebrandino
torches and fire. Duels and fights are included in small theatrical representations with nobles, knights, ladies, pilgrims, clerics, peasants and crusaders; scenes that are inspired by real historical facts or by the imaginary medieval world, fascinating and controversial, full of myths, legends, courtly love, fears and superstitions.
Suberetum reditus in Medioevo
Every year Suvereto hosts a traditional medieval festival, with a rich program ranging from handicrafts to representations to the medieval dinner. The village becomes a stage and a special atmosphere is breathed everywhere. This is the program of the party scheduled for this weekend.
Suvereto will appear to the eyes of holidaymakers on the Etruscan coast as it could have been many centuries ago, starting with the traditional medieval horseshoe-style banquet in the Cloister of San Francesco. The beautiful historic center, the dimmed public lighting, the characters in period costumes, the artisans, the simple refreshment points, the traveling shows… will contribute to this transformation from the crenellated gate to the Rocca Aldobrandesca.
The medieval banquet will be at the center of the attraction for its particular ceremonial and the attractions that will be performed in front of the diners, with a period menu that is also pleasant for today’s tastes. The so-called “sideboard” service will alternate with those of the “kitchen” which are renewed every year, with what is now called the final dessert, also with vintage recipes, in addition to the wine “de lo contado” from Suvereto. All served by costumed waiters and an auctioneer who will illustrate the dishes, after the diners have washed their hands with water and rose petals. It is also possible (and advisable) to book for dinner at the Suvereto Valorisation on 328 9008053.
In the culinary department of the evenings there are also other simpler refreshment points, the fish tavern, the Banco dello Porcellum, the pilgrim’s refreshment, the grill. Like every year, the evenings will be enriched by animated and spectacular settings, such as the faithful reproduction of a market of the time in Piazza Gramsci and the re-enactment of the trial of a witch with a sentence to be burned alive, at the Rocca Aldobrandesca.
The setting of the historic center will be identical in the two evenings, diversified by the banquet in the Cloister on Saturday evening and by the “traveller’s dinner”, less demanding but very tasty, on Sunday when the event will close with the awaited historical procession.
The grand finale with its common people, the nobles, the armigers who give a further brushstroke to the overall picture.
MORE INFORMATION:
If you want to discover other activities to do with children in the Suvereto area, I suggest you look at this post. To stay updated on the shows and activities proposed by the Knights of Ildebrandino, you can instead follow their Facebook page.
Follow the events scheduled in Suvereto! In this post I have listed the most important ones.
