Historia Viva – Bishop Geraldini and the Gift of Eels

A festival that relives 1497

In the heart of the Monti Dauni, in Volturara Appula, Foggia province, Historia Viva is the historical re-enactment that turns back the clock by over five centuries every autumn. The event, promoted by the Terrànima Cultural Association with the patronage of the Municipality of Volturara Appula and the Borghi Autentici d'Italia, reconstructs a 1497 celebration in costume, dating back to when the small village was an episcopal seat and a crossroads for trade along the ancient transhumance sheep tracks.

For one afternoon, the historic center, with its stone alleys and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, returns to being a living fresco of the Renaissance Capitanata: workshops, traditional crafts, music, and dances guide visitors on a journey through time that unites memory, community, and Daunian identity.

Bishop Geraldini and the gift of eels

At the center of the re-enactment is the figure of Alessandro Geraldini, a humanist and man of the Church who in 1496 obtained the title of Bishop of the Diocese of Volturara and Montecorvino. He would go down in history as the first bishop of the New World, installed in Santo Domingo, where he died in 1524 and is buried in the cathedral he founded himself. Woven around him is the tradition of the gift of eels, an ancient custom linked to medieval fairs and the relationship between Volturara and Lake Lesina, from where the eels were offered as a tribute.

This is no random detail: the same tradition survives today in the Eel Festival and the historic Saint Luke's Fair, established by Frederick II and celebrated in October, the month when the eels from Lake Lesina reached the village. Historia Viva gathers this legacy and transforms it into a theatrical and collective narrative.

The pageant and performances

The re-enactment comes alive with musicians, flag-wavers, dancers, and performers in costume who recreate the atmosphere of the Renaissance in the small Daunian village. The event features groups and re-enactment associations from neighboring towns in the Monti Dauni, including Pietra Montecorvino, Lucera, and Torremaggiore, testifying to a territorial network that turns historical memory into a shared heritage.

The hub of the activities is Piazza Bilancia, from which the pageant winds through the streets of the historic center, but the entire village becomes a natural stage for the festival. Participation is free and open to all, designed for families, curious visitors, and history enthusiasts.

Volturara Appula and the Monti Dauni

Located in the mountainous hinterland of the Foggia province, on the border of Puglia with Molise and Campania, Volturara Appula is a village that preserves the mark of its ancient episcopal dignity: the Romanesque Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Palazzo Ducale Caracciolo, and the alleys of the historic center tell centuries of history. Historia Viva is today one of the events that best expresses the spirit of this Monti Dauni community, capable of turning its past into a reason for gathering and pride.