At the Table of Princess Costanza

A medieval festival in the heart of the Vallo di Diano

For three days in August, the historic center of Teggiano, a town in the province of Salerno, Campania, sets aside the present and returns to the year 1480. At the Table of Princess Costanza is one of the most popular historical re-enactments in Southern Italy: paved alleys, stone portals, churches, and noble palaces of the ancient Diano become the natural stage for a wedding banquet that has gone down in the annals of the Kingdom of Naples. The event was founded in 1994 by the Pro Loco Teggiano, which still manages its organization, costumes, and artistic direction today.

The 1480 wedding of Costanza and Antonello

At the heart of it all is a real marriage: that between Costanza da Montefeltro, daughter of the Duke of Urbino, and Antonello Sanseverino, Prince of Salerno and Lord of the State of Diano. To welcome the bride, the village mobilized with processions, banquets, and festivities that lasted for days, and that memory has remained in the collective consciousness of the Vallo di Diano. The re-enactment goes beyond mere scenery: the reconstruction of costumes, banners, and crafts is handled with philological precision, and it is this attention to detail that has made the festival an event capable of attracting tens of thousands of visitors from all over Italy.

The historical pageant and traveling shows

The core of every evening is the grand historical pageant, which moves from Castello Macchiaroli and crosses the village to the Antico Seggio, where the session of the City Council of the time is re-enacted. Princess Costanza and Prince Antonello parade by, followed by ladies and knights, men-at-arms and commoners, accompanied by the blank shots of the musketeers.

• Flag-wavers and Musicians of the State of Diano, drummers, and musical groups in costume
• Jesters, fire-eaters, acrobats, jugglers, and falconers in the squares and open spaces
• Medieval camps, archers, weapon games, and the famous pillory
• Artisan workshops reopened for the occasion: potters, goldsmiths, weavers, carpenters, candle makers
• Games, processions, and duels designed for children, to introduce them to history while having fun

Late at night, everything converges in Piazza Portello for the Assault on the Castle, the reconstruction of the Conspiracy of the Barons with pyrotechnic effects synchronized to music: it is the most anticipated and photographed moment of the entire event.

The taverns and the Duke's cuisine

The gastronomic itinerary winds through the entire village with nine taverns set up in courtyards, cellars, and squares. To order, one does not use euros but period coins—Coronato, Ducato, Tarì, and Tornese—which can be purchased at the Exchange Bank set up at the opening of the taverns. On the table, you will find fusilli with meat sauce, cavatieddi, pasta and beans, cured meats and cheeses from the Vallo di Diano, and the festival's signature dessert, the Torta del Duca, inspired by the dishes of the wedding banquet.

Teggiano, a village to discover

The festival is also the best opportunity to visit Teggiano, considered one of the best-preserved villages in southern Campania. During the evenings, the Diocesan Museum, the Museum of Herbs, and the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions remain open, while along the route of the pageant, you can visit the numerous historic churches of the center, with their altarpieces and Renaissance tombs. All around opens the Vallo di Diano, with the Certosa di San Lorenzo in Padula and the Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta just a few kilometers away: those arriving for the re-enactment will easily find enough to fill an entire stay.

Why it's worth the trip

Few Italian re-enactments manage to involve an entire town like this: hundreds of costumed participants, a village illuminated by torches and braziers, and completely free admission to all shows. It is an event suitable for both history buffs and families, and it remains one of the strongest identity-defining events in the province of Salerno.