Μake us preferred on Google The Greek island of Rhodes is ready to put on its shining armor for the annual Rhodes Medieval Festival, which takes place on October 9-11.
In its 19th year, the festival re-creates the atmosphere of Medieval Rhodes throughout the Medieval City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Expect to find everything from jousting and sword fights to archery and Medieval embroidery workshops, as well as historical reenactments, dance demonstrations, combat with weapons and medieval performances.
The program also features medieval and traditional Greek music, storytelling, jugglers and stilt walkers, chess competitions, and demonstrations on the use of plant-based dyes, iconography, stained glass, wood carving, pebble mosaic- and straw rope-making.
Photo: Medieval Festival of Rhodes
Events, parades, happenings, workshops, discussions and activities all take place throughout the Medieval City, as well as in squares, along its streets and at Alhadeff Park, located in the Jewish Quarter (La Juderia).
Topics covered in talks include the administrative organization of the Order of the Knights of St. John, the therapeutic use of essential oils in the Middle Ages, European medieval combat and its connection to the present day, natural inks and parchment, medieval suits of armor, and the use of herbs in medieval medicine.
A festival highlight is the parade, which takes place on Saturday, October 10, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It starts at the Church of Our Lady of the Burgh (Panagia tou Vourgou), a beautiful 14th-century Gothic church ruin located in the Medieval City. The parade will feature staged sword fighting, stilt walkers, dances, music and much more, with stops at central squares for performances.
On Sunday, October 11, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Medieval Procession will make its way through the main streets of the Medieval City, culminating at Alhadeff Park. A Medieval Living History Park will be set up, featuring artistic performances and historical reenactments. The procession will come to a close at the Panagia tou Vourgou church with a performance titled “Heroine Anastasia – A Legend of 1522 AD”, followed by a Medieval & Renaissance music concert featuring the Medieval Bards.
The Medieval Festival of Rhodes is organized by the Medieval Rose Cultural Association, with the support of the South Aegean Region, the Municipality of Rhodes, and the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese.
The Medieval Festival of Rhodes is an initiative of the The Medieval Rose, a non-governmental, not-for-profit cultural organization founded on Rhodes in 2005. The association organizes the annual festival, recreating the island’s Byzantine and medieval history, traditions and legends through historical reenactments, workshops, performances and games. The aim of the festival is to promote Rhodes’ cultural heritage through education, culture and tourism.
For more information, visit the festival’s official website.
