In Italy it is easy to come across a medieval village, but it’s not every day that you visit one of the most beautiful historical re-enactments in the country. The students of the Intensive Italian Program had this opportunity in Bevagna, a few kilometers from Perugia, where the Gaite Market takes place every year. The purpose of this event is to faithfully recreate the lives of the inhabitants of Bevagna between 1250 and 1350, demonstrating the activities that took place in the past. The whole village participates in this festival by reopening the old “botteghe” such as the paper shop, the candle factory and the clothes dyeing service.
Thanks to the guided tour by Professor Giampiero Bevagna, the students retraced the history of this enchanting Umbrian medieval village. A church built on a Roman Temple and a house in the shape of a Roman amphitheater were among the various attractions visited. Also, the outside church walls had ancient units of measurement on them, which helped merchants and buyers in their transactions.
The evening ended with a special medieval dinner, where students ate dishes prepared with ingredients and spices that constituted the diet of the locals in the Middle Ages—so no pasta with tomato sauce for them!
See the pictures on our Instagram page!