I Caldoreschi — Historical Re-enactment in the Year of Our Lord 1450

Pacentro returns to the Middle Ages

Every summer, in the week following Ferragosto, the village of Pacentro, in the province of L'Aquila at the foot of the Majella, transforms into an open-air stage. The historical re-enactment "I Caldoreschi" takes the entire town back to the Year of Our Lord 1450, when the powerful Caldora family ruled these fiefdoms. The term "caldoreschi" referred in the 15th century to the militias serving the Caldora Counts, and it is to them that the event dedicates its narrative.

Six evenings of history and spectacle

The re-enactment unfolds over six consecutive evenings, with scenes performed each night at dusk, illuminated by the glow of torches. Amidst trumpet blasts, drum rolls, and public proclamations, the audience witnesses the daily life of medieval Pacentro in all its joys and cruelties.

• Weapon duels and combat between men-at-arms
• Investiture ceremonies for Knights, Squires, and Pages
• Enlistment into the Caldoreschi militia
• Trials of Templars and witches, with pyres and accusations of witchcraft
• Weddings, banquets, and court ceremonies

An impressive stage production

The event involves over 220 performers—actors, extras, and main characters—wearing a collection of more than 250 period costumes. Ladies, knights, drummers, and trumpeters bring to life the evocative settings of the Caldoresco Castle, with its high towers, and the narrow streets of the historic center.

The history of the Caldora family

At the center of the story are the lives of Counts Giacomo and Antonio Caldora, prominent figures of the 15th-century Abruzzo region. The re-enactment evokes episodes that actually occurred in Pacentro, such as the siege by Braccio da Montone in 1421 and the visit of Ferdinand I of Aragon. Completing the cultural project is the literary competition "In the Time of the Caldora", dedicated to stories set between 1400 and 1465 in the territory of Pacentro and the Peligna Valley, whose award ceremony is held at the Caldoresco Castle and opens the event each year.

The village of Pacentro

Recognized as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, Pacentro offers an authentic backdrop: stone, medieval towers, and the Majella in the background. The re-enactment, organized by the Associazione Culturale Pacentrana, is free to attend and represents one of the most iconic summer events in inland Abruzzo.