Fruttuaria Historical Re-enactment - Archery Tournament

A festival celebrating a thousand years of history

The Fruttuaria Historical Re-enactment is the signature event through which San Benigno Canavese, a town in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the heart of the Canavese region, Piedmont, pays homage to its medieval identity. The event celebrates the anniversary of the founding of the Abbey of Fruttuaria, one of the most significant monastic complexes in Northern Italy, whose first stone was laid on February 23, 1003, by William of Volpiano, a great reformer of the Cluniac tradition.

The Abbey of Fruttuaria

Founded at the dawn of the year 1000, Fruttuaria reached its peak between the 12th and 13th centuries, controlling dozens of churches across Italy, France, and Austria while hosting a large monastic community. The ruins of the ancient Romanesque abbey, unearthed in the late 1970s beneath the 18th-century parish church, can now be explored along a fascinating archaeological trail that serves as the heart of the re-enactment.

The event program

For two days in February, the village transforms into a medieval settlement thanks to the efforts of the Rievocando Fruttuaria historical group. The program includes:

• Historical pageant with dozens of participants in medieval attire parading through the town streets, featuring re-enactment groups from across the Canavese region;
• Reading of the edict of the basilica's construction, a solemn moment held inside the abbey;
• Historical archery tournament, with costumed archers competing at various stations and targets set up in the town's Ricetto;
• Guided tours of the Abbey of Fruttuaria and the archaeological site to discover the millennium-long history of the location.

A community event

The re-enactment is a collaborative effort involving the entire town: alongside the Rievocando Fruttuaria group and the Municipality of San Benigno, the Amici di Fruttuaria association, the Santa Maria Assunta Parish, the Merchants' Association, the Alpini Group, and local districts all participate. The result is an event of deep cultural significance that blends historical education, entertainment, and the promotion of Canavese heritage.

Canavese traditions

Included in the official calendar of San Benigno Canavese, the Fruttuaria Historical Re-enactment is one of the best opportunities to visit a hidden gem of Piedmont and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, surrounded by the costumes, music, and customs of a bygone era, just a few kilometers from Turin.