A Cena con i Capitani del Colleoni

The 15th-century table comes alive again in Martinengo

A Cena con i Capitani del Colleoni is a medieval dinner held in Martinengo, a municipality in the Province of Bergamo in eastern Bassa Bergamasca. The event is organised by the Bartolomeo Colleoni Folk Group, with the patronage of the Municipality of Martinengo, and is one of the most characteristic re-enactments of the area linked to the figure of the famous condottiero Bartolomeo Colleoni.

The Cloister of Santa Chiara

The dinner takes place in the cloister of the former Santa Chiara convent, a complex built by the condottiero to fulfil the dying wish of his wife Tisbe Martinengo. For the occasion, the cloister is lit by braziers and enlivened by court jesters and period dances, recreating the atmosphere of the 15th-century court.

A Menu Faithful to the Middle Ages

The dishes, served by costumed re-enactors on wooden and terracotta tableware, are reconstructed from 15th-century recipes: a series of appetizers with vegetables, pumpkin soup, barley with vegetables, roast suckling pig, braised donkey with borage and green beans, fresh cheeses, pantry desserts, spiced wine, and water. A gastronomic journey that is itself part of the historical re-enactment.

The Link with Bartolomeo Colleoni

The event celebrates the historical identity of Martinengo, deeply linked to Bartolomeo Colleoni, a condottiero in the service of the Republic of Venice who made the village one of his fiefs. The Folk Group that bears his name preserves and passes on this memory through re-enactments, parades, and cultural initiatives.