Rocchetta Medievale – Historical Pageant, Coena Medievalis and the Burning of the Castle

A dive into the Middle Ages in the Monti Dauni

Every summer, the small village of Rocchetta Sant'Antonio, located on the far western edge of the Foggia province, in the Monti Dauni mountains and just a stone's throw from Campania and Basilicata, travels back five hundred years. For a few evenings in August, the historic center fills with performers in period costumes, ladies, knights, flag-wavers, and street artists, while torches and braziers illuminate the alleys leading up to the majestic D'Aquino Castle that dominates the town.

The re-enactment recounts life in the fiefdom governed by the D'Aquino marquises between the 15th and 16th centuries, culminating in a collective experience that involves the entire community of the municipality of Rocchetta Sant'Antonio, in Puglia.

The Palio della Rocca and the four districts

The competitive heart of the festival is the Palio della Rocca, a challenge between the village's four historic districts—Cittadella, Capannoni, Piazza, and Pescara—who compete in traditional games, skill trials, and the classic donkey race. The grand historical pageant opens the celebrations, followed by the investiture of the marquis and food and wine trails like "Calici a Corte," where you can taste local wines and dishes among the stalls of a true medieval fairground.

The Coena Medievalis and the Burning of the Castle

The Coena Medievalis is a banquet under the stars that revives ancient recipes and local products, accompanied by the Renaissance music of the Camerata Musica Antiqua and performances by the Cavalieri del Fuoco (Knights of Fire). The evening concludes at midnight with the signature event: the Burning of the Castle, a scenic battle featuring knights and sword fighting, followed by a firework display that envelops the fortress in flames, curated by master pyrotechnicians.

An Orange Flag village

Rocchetta Sant'Antonio has been awarded the Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club, a recognition reserved for small inland villages that excel in hospitality and environmental quality. The medieval re-enactment, part of the Monti Dauni events circuit, is now one of the main tourist attractions of the summer in the Capitanata region.

The origins of the re-enactment

The initiative began in 2007 to celebrate the five-hundredth anniversary of the D'Aquino Castle. Since then, thanks to the efforts of the Liberamente Association and the patronage of the municipality, it has grown into a fixed appointment at the end of August, capable of attracting thousands of visitors from all over Puglia and neighboring regions.