The Historical Reenactment of the Mastrogiurato

Since 1981, the Cultural Association “Il Mastrogiurato” has promoted the Historical Re-enactment for the Investiture of the Mastrogiurato: An event that is deep-rooted in the heart of Lanciano’s inhabitants as well as of the very many participants attending every year the ceremony and its collateral initiatives.

The event, which is scheduled from the last Sunday of August to the first Sunday of September, is staged in the space of a week that is filled with culture and shows including: two Panarda – inspired (Slow Food) international medieval banquets, medieval fairs, taverns, ancient music concerts, plays, street theatre, jugglers, knights and fighters, female dancers, stilt-walkers, falconers, flag flyers, all of this reaching its climax in the imposing Historical Parade on the first Sunday of September. On that day the solemn ceremony of the Investiture of the Mastrogiurato is celebrated with a parade crowded by over 700 people – who are dressed in period costumes and come from Italy and abroad – and snaking through the path passed on by historians. The historical re-enactment of the Mastrogiurato has gained many meaningful awards: it has been designated as “event of cultural interest” by the Abruzzo Region; it has received the support of the Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities and of the Senate of the Italian Republic; it has been hosted in several on TV programmes on the National Broadcasting Corporations (RAI)
and on Rai International and Mediaset.

Particularly appreciated have been the invitations to events organized in Italy (Rome, Milan, Modena etc.) and abroad: New York for the Columbus Day (1996 and 2007), Washington, Baltimora, Silver Spring (USA), Visegràd, Budapest, Pécs and Kecskemét (Hungary), Paris (International Tourism Fair) Cordes Sur Ciel and Vannes (France), Sighisoara (Romania), Szydlow (Poland), the Castle of Predijama (Slovenia), Riedenburg, Bad Bodenteich e Dornum (Ger-many), Cortegana (Spain), etc. The historical re-enactment, a member of F.I.G.S. (Italian Federation of Historical Games) and of The European Confederation of Historical Re-enactments,

has been collabo-rating for many years with schools of every category and degree and with Institutions in order to favour indepth exploration of historical studies, clearly focusing on medieval history. It has also joined many Bodies and Organizations with the aim to boost tourism and the knowledge of those products that are peculiar to a specific territory relying on dissemination activities on the occasion of cultural happenings.