Historical Pageant of Grazzano Visconti

A festival celebrating fifty years

The Historical Pageant of Grazzano Visconti is one of the most beloved medieval re-enactments in Emilia-Romagna. Born in 1976 thanks to a group of friends from the village, the event has spanned half a century of history: in 2026, it celebrated its fiftieth edition. Initially, as the founders recall, it was a simple costume walk with clothes provided by Countess Violante and a cart pulled by oxen; today, it is a structured event that attracts thousands of visitors to the charming neo-Gothic village in the Municipality of Vigolzone, in the province of Piacenza.

The legend of Valentina Visconti

The re-enactment stages the journey of Valentina Visconti to France, where the noblewoman married Louis of Orléans. Ladies, knights, and men-at-arms representing the noble families of Anguissola, Malaspina, and Nicelli parade through the village streets. In the afternoon, a knight tournament takes place, the winner of which symbolically accompanies Valentina on her journey: a gesture that ideally concludes the day and links the present to the medieval memory of the village.

The day's program

The event unfolds from morning to late afternoon, animating the village and the castle with shows, games, and ancient crafts:

• Animations and archery throughout the day in the village streets;
• Show by the Flag-throwers and Musicians with the Magma Company;
• Two historical pageants between the castle and the village streets, with gift-giving and knightly oaths;
• Weapon shows, medieval tailoring demonstrations, and a horse tournament;
• Jugglers, acrobats, falconers, and street artists to close the day.

A fairy-tale village

The setting is the unique one of Grazzano Visconti, a neo-Gothic village built around the ancient castle starting in the early twentieth century at the behest of Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone. Cobblestone streets, artisan shops, and old-world atmospheres make this corner of the province of Piacenza the natural stage for a re-enactment that, every spring, transforms the hamlet of the Municipality of Vigolzone into an authentic medieval village.