Giornate Medievali e della Falconeria

Melfi Returns to the Middle Ages

For one weekend, at the end of October, Melfi sheds its present and dons the attire of the 12th century. The Medieval and Falconry Days are the second major chapter of the 'Ottobre Melfitano' program and take visitors on a journey back in time in the name of the most illustrious adopted son of Melfi: Frederick II of Swabia, the 'Stupor Mundi'.

12th-Century Knights, Falconers, and Weapons

At the foot of Frederick II's majestic castle, a historical encampment is set up with tents, camps, reenactors in costume, and demonstrations of medieval life. Visitors can admire 12th-century games and weapons, ancient crafts, and, above all, the spectacle of falconry: the majestic flight of birds of prey, an art that Frederick II loved so much that he dedicated a famous treatise to it, 'De arte venandi cum avibus'. Falconry is now recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Historical Procession

The culminating moment is the Sunday procession, which winds through the historic center with dozens of figures in period costumes, ladies, knights, and flag-throwers, recreating the atmosphere of a Swabian court in its full splendor. The castle, a symbol of the city and home to the National Archaeological Museum of Melfese, provides the perfect backdrop for this grand reenactment.

The Heart of 'Ottobre Melfitano'

Organized in co-design by the Municipality of Melfi and the Pro Loco Federico II di Svevia, the Medieval Days complete the journey begun with the Sagra della Varola, intertwining gastronomic and historical culture. Together, the two events tell the deepest identity of Melfi and the Vulture area, in the Province of Potenza.