Battle of Lake Trasimene – Historical Re-enactment 'Tuoro 217 BC'

On the Battlefields

On June 21st, 217 BC, on the northern shores of Lake Trasimeno, the Carthaginian general Hannibal set one of the most famous ambushes in military history: taking advantage of the morning fog and the terrain, he annihilated the legions of the Roman consul Gaius Flaminius, who lost his life there. Right in Tuoro sul Trasimeno (province of Perugia), where the clash took place, this page of history is revived every year with a grand historical re-enactment.

The 'Tuoro 217 BC' Re-enactment

The event, also known as Hannibalica, is organized by Legio I Taurus together with the Cultural Association Suadela and the Municipality of Tuoro. Hundreds of re-enactors from all over Italy and abroad (around 140 in recent editions) faithfully reconstruct a wooden castra with the Roman consular army's camp and, outside, Hannibal's camp.

History, Education, and Spectacle

The camps are open to the public, guided by expert re-enactors, with workshops and educational activities on Roman tactics, weapons, military life, and cuisine (with recipes inspired by Apicius). The heart of the event is the representation of the battle, staged according to the scientific reconstruction by Prof. Giovanni Brizzi, a professor of Roman History at the University of Bologna, in collaboration with scholars from the University of Perugia. In keeping with local tradition, the event also features the Palio del Tiro della Biga (Chariot Pulling Competition), where the districts of Tuoro compete by pulling a chariot through the town's streets.