For the tenth time in a row, from June 6 to 8 the festival "Everyday Life in Medieval Tarnovgrad" will gather participants from different parts of Europe to re-enact the historical events and life of the city as they were between the 12th and 14th centuries, when it was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and one of the three most important European cities, along with Rome and Constantinople.

"With the costumes and weapons, the camp is very impressive, as the participants spend the night in their own tents in the Tsarevets fortress,” says Nelina Tsarova from the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo, head of the "Culture, Immovable Cultural and Historical Heritage, Holidays and Festivals" Directorate and adds: “There you can see, for example, Italians dressed as crusaders - in tents with characteristic flags. The camp is definitely something that must be seen! The visitors get in touch with the way of life of medieval people. For three days Tsarevets comes to life in the time between the 12th and 14th centuries".

The topic of the festival this year is "SACRA TERRA" /Sacred Land/ and the program is dedicated to the 840th anniversary of the uprising of Asen and Peter and the restoration of the Bulgarian state. For this reason, the events will be presented in the palace complex of the fortress with a lavish theatrical performance by the Konstantin Kisimov Music and Drama Theater - Veliko Tarnovo. The festival begins with a visit to the church "Holy Forty Martyrs", Nelina Tsarova says and adds:

"The program includes re-enactments and demonstrations of crafts, lifestyle, traditions and customs. For example, medieval fashion, as there will be a presentation of outfits from the era, restored from drawings from old books and images from frescoes.

Medieval justice will also be presented, as we know about it from preserved documents. Another theatrical performance is also included - ‘The Last Patriarch’, again with the participation of actors from the Music and Drama Theater. For children, we have prepared events with archery and pottery work, as well as a puppet theatre for young and old, which will introduce them to the tales and legends from the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The program includes, of course, many fighting games and demonstrations of combat practices and techniques with bows, which are a reconstruction of the medieval ones.

There will also be two concerts by the band Notte Medievale, which creates a magical and incredible atmosphere against the backdrop of the city's fortress."

Nelina Tsarova says that many foreigners arrive every year. Many of them are extremely well informed and show great interest in seeing what they have read in books. The rest, who have not had the opportunity to learn about the historical events, are extremely impressed and do not hide their admiration when they learn that in the 12th - 14th centuries Tarnovo was the third most important city in Europe.

"Over the years, we have had participants from various countries - Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Italy, Ukraine, Germany, etc. The main partner of the Municipality for organizing the festival is the Association ‘Tarnovtsi’ - an association of re-enactors, who have gained a lot of experience over the years, have many contacts and manage to select and invite the best re-enactors, so as to make each edition of the festival even better than the previous one. Thanks to this, for 10 years the festival has achieved a very high European level.

What makes it preferred for foreign participation is the fact that the events that are being re-enacted are held at the place where they happened centuries ago - one of the few festivals that provide such an opportunity. So, the viewers can immerse themselves in this truly unique atmosphere – both charming and majestic".

Author: Desislava Shapkarova

Publication in English: Alexander Markov

Photos: BTA, Facebook: International Festival "Medieval Tarnovgrad"