Medieval Festivals and Tournaments

Meet Vikings, Knights and Maidens

Here are some of the most renowned medieval festivals, ENJOY!

1. Palio di Siena, Italy: This historic horse race, dating back to the 17th century, is held twice a year in Siena’s Piazza del Campo.
2. Medieval Days in Tallinn, Estonia: An annual celebration in the Old Town featuring knights’ tournaments, medieval markets, and workshops.
3. Robin Hood Festival, Nottingham, England: A week-long event celebrating the legendary outlaw with medieval banquets, jousting, and archery.
4. Kaltenberg Knight’s Tournament, Germany: One of the world’s largest medieval tournaments, held in Kaltenberg Castle with jousting, market stalls, and medieval music.
5. Visby Medieval Week, Gotland, Sweden: A week-long festival in the medieval town of Visby featuring knights, jesters, and musicians, celebrating its Hanseatic League heritage.
6. Feira Medieval de Óbidos, Portugal: A medieval market and fair in the historic town of Óbidos, complete with jousting, medieval music, and traditional foods.
7. Festival Medieval d’Elx, Spain: A celebration of Elche’s Moorish and Christian history with battles, parades, and traditional crafts.
8. Rievaulx Abbey Medieval Festival, England: A celebration of medieval life with knights, archery, and crafts in the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey.
9. Jorvik Viking Festival, York, England: This is one of the largest Viking festivals in Europe. It celebrates York’s Norse heritage with reenactments, a Viking camp, and marches.
10. Carcassonne Festival, France: Although it features a wide range of events, the medieval reenactments and jousting tournaments are highlights, set against the backdrop of the fortified city.
11. Horsens Medieval Festival, Denmark: One of Scandinavia’s most significant medieval festivals, with a market, jousting, and workshops in Horsens.
12. La Quintana, Italy: This historic Medieval Festival, which includes a jousting tournament, flag-waving, concerts, and much more, takes place in Ascoli Piceno.

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Medieval Festivals and Craftsmanship

Craftsmen in the medieval period were skilled labourers who specialized in various trades, including blacksmithing, carpentry, weaving, pottery, glassmaking, and manuscript illumination. These artisans often worked in small workshops or were part of larger guilds, which were organizations that regulated the quality of work, provided training, and protected the economic interests of their members. Guilds played a crucial role in developing and transmitting artisanal knowledge and skills, ensuring high standards of craftsmanship and fostering a sense of community among workers.

Blacksmiths forged weapons, armour, and tools with intricate designs, demonstrating functional necessity and artistic expression. Carpenters and stonemasons constructed majestic cathedrals, castles, and bridges that testify to their ingenuity and mastery of materials.

Textile workers, particularly weavers and embroiderers, created luxurious fabrics and tapestries highly prized for their beauty and durability. These textiles often depicted religious or historical scenes, serving as both decorative elements and storytelling mediums.

Manuscript illumination, another significant craft of the Middle Ages, combined the skills of scribes, who carefully copied texts by hand, with those of illuminators, who adorned these texts with intricate designs, colourful illustrations, and gold leaf.

Medieval Festivals and Knight’s tournaments

Knight’s tournaments in the Middle Ages were martial competitions or jousts between knights. They were often part of a larger festival or event, including feasts, parades, and other entertainment. These tournaments allowed knights to train for war and display their skills. The history and nature of these tournaments evolved from chaotic melee battles to more regulated and stylized contests.

Origins and Evolution of knight’s tournaments

• Early Tournaments: Knightly tournaments’ origins can be traced back to the 11th century. Initially, mock battles allowed knights to practice combat skills in a relatively controlled environment. These early tournaments were often large-scale melees that could be very dangerous, with few rules and the potential for serious injury or death.
• High Middle Ages: By the 12th and 13th centuries, tournaments became more organized and regulated, with specific events (such as the joust) becoming more popular. These events were about martial prowess, chivalry, and courtly love.
• Jousting: Jousting became the quintessential tournament event by the Late Middle Ages. It involved two knights charging each other with lances on horseback, aiming to break their lance on the opponent or unseat them. Jousting tournaments were highly ritualized, with elaborate ceremonies and rules. Jousting is a leading knight’s tournament attraction at medieval festivals today.

Equipment and Heraldry

• Armour and Weapons: Over time, the armour and weapons used in tournaments became more specialized. By the 15th century, knights might wear specially designed tournament armour that was heavier and more protective than war armour.
• Heraldry: Knights often displayed their family’s coat of arms on their shield, surcoat, and banner. Heraldry was crucial for identifying participants in the heat of a tournament and became a complex system of symbols and colours.

See all the Medieval Festivals