The Fires of Taranis - Monterenzio Celtica

A Celtic festival in the name of Taranis

The Fires of Taranis - Monterenzio Celtica is the great festival of Celtic culture that every year, between the end of June and the beginning of July, enlivens the Municipality of Monterenzio, in the Bolognese Apennines, in the province of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna). Founded in 2005, the event takes place in the Park of the Luigi Fantini Civic Archaeological Museum and attracts history enthusiasts, re-enactors, and families from all over Italy. The name pays homage to Taranis, the Celtic deity of thunder and lightning: not by chance, the nearby Monte Bibele was a rare place of coexistence between Etruscans and Celts, where the inhabitants erected a votive altar to ward off frequent lightning strikes.

Historical re-enactment and Celtic daily life

The festival meticulously reconstructs scenes of daily life from the Iron Age with great philological accuracy. Along the park, you can visit military camps, witness pottery making, wool weaving, and demonstrations of ancient crafts. There are also re-enactments of combat between Romans and Celts, curated by re-enactment groups from all over Europe.

• Historical camps and military life
• Ancient craft workshops (ceramics, weaving, metallurgy)
• Combat and warrior technique demonstrations
• Guided tours of the Luigi Fantini Museum and the Monte Bibele archaeological area

Music, dances, and the fire ritual

The evenings are marked by Celtic music concerts, traditional dances, and fire shows. The most anticipated moment is the lighting of the sacred fire of brotherhood among peoples and the wheel of Taranis, with the participation of druid groups: an evocative ritual that takes place late at night and represents the symbolic heart of the event.

Culture, conferences, and activities for children

Alongside the spectacular part, Monterenzio Celtica offers a rich cultural program with conferences and meetings on Celtic civilization and on the archaeological discoveries of the Monte Bibele area, a site that has rewritten the knowledge of Celtic presence in Italy. An area is dedicated to children, with workshops and activities designed to introduce them to history in a fun way. Numerous themed food stalls complete the visit, offering dishes and drinks inspired by tradition.

An event rooted in the territory

Organized by the Valle di Taranis APS association together with the Pro Loco of Monterenzio and the Luigi Fantini Civic Archaeological Museum, the event enhances a territory linked to important findings of La Tène Celtic culture. Visiting Monterenzio Celtica means immersing yourself in an experience that combines fun, entertainment, and historical dissemination, in one of the most fascinating settings of the Bolognese Apennines.