Bevagna - Mercato delle Gaite

The Mercato delle Gaite 2007, or Guaite, is a re-enactment of daily medieval life that draws inspiration from the ancient division of Bevagna into four quarters.

Along the most evocative streets and corners of the city, the population undertakes the organisation of craft workshops, of markets typical of the era, and the setting up of taverns, where you can savour dishes prepared according to ancient Umbrian recipes. The festival is further enriched by shows, concerts, exhibitions and lectures which, together with the archery contest, enliven the already very lively evenings. Drawing on the customs described in ancient medieval documents, Bevagna recreates the same intense atmosphere of craft activities, with sounds and gestures forgotten by the present age. In the small workshops of hemp workers, potters, dyers and blacksmiths, skilled master craftsmen make exclusive objects using the arts and techniques of the Middle Ages.

The main square, in its splendid essentiality, forms the most appropriate setting for the Mercato delle Gaite and frames its most representative moments, such as the opening and closing ceremony, as well as the contests between the quarters; on this stage modern Bevagna merges with medieval Bevagna, and its inhabitants, abandoning everyday clothes, for once wear the fabrics and cloth of nobles and commoners, magistrates and craftsmen, bringing back to life the traditional activity of their ancestors. The Mercato delle Gaite, although recently created, has by now taken on a well-defined character of its own; the organisers' determination to focus on re-enactment and entertainment, while maintaining the highest historical fidelity, today makes this event one of the most significant of its kind.

Period From 10 to 24 June 2007 Frequency Annual Address Piazza Silvestri