Medieval Times Pumpkin Festival

As our days in Italy slowly come to an end, I find myself wanting to attend every festival and event possible. Who knows if we will ever return to this enchanted place again.
Last weekend, we attended the Chestnut festival in Pordenone. Who would've thought that you could celebrate something as insignificant as the chestnut. But in Italy, they even have a mushroom festival. The Italians like to have fun. For the chestnut festival, the center of Pordenone was lined with shops, music, events and people. It was fun getting lost in the crowds and shopping with the locals.


 
This weekend we attended a Pumpkin festival in a medieval city called Venzone. Upon our arrival in the city, we walked through the city gates where people wore authentic medieval costumes. The walls surrounding the city resembled nothing less than a castle, and it left you feeling as though you were stepping into real medieval times.
Fortune tellers could be spotted throughout the city, along with the fresh smell of breads, pastries, and of course, pumpkin.
Around lunch time, we spotted a pizzeria selling pumpkin pizzas. Turns out they were beyond scrumptious! Replacing the traditional pizza sauce, they used pumpkin sauce instead. Very few places in Italy do this. No wonder the pizzeria was overflowing with people! :)  We spent the afternoon touring shops and watching Arts and Crafts demonstrations. Later we stumbled upon a great medieval feast where the old town center was lightened by torches and crowded with nobles, ladies, knights, and merchants.
Toward evening, we watched jugglers, jesters, musicians and more noblemen.
But the best part of this little medieval town is the story behind it, and it's too good for me not to share. 

Venzone was destroyed by an earthquake in 1976 and had been rebuilt according to original plans. It started celebrating its pumpkin fair 14 years ago because of an ancient legend, which centers upon a pumpkin. According to this legend, in the 14th century Venzone was almost completely built and had many nice palaces. The city's cathedral and the tower clock had finished being constructed. Unfortunately, the city didn't have enough money to pay the artist who had just completed decorating the roof of the tower clock with a golden globe. The city committee decided to give him just one third of the amount he asked for his work because they thought that everybody should volunteer some of their working time for the town, especially during this hard time. He didn't have much choice, and he accepted the money that the city gave him. But that night he thought he would pay the city back in the same way. He went back up to the roof and replaced the golden ball with a nicely painted pumpkin. He left the city the next day. 

The Venzone inhabitants were happy for the completion of the work that embellished their city but, shortly, they realized that something on the tower was wrong because the ball was changing color. Only when big pieces started falling down did they understand how the sculptor had fooled them. Nevertheless, the city dedicates an annual fair to this important agricultural product that grows in the area. For a couple of days, the town is swarmed with thousands of visitors from towns nearby, as well as from Germany and Austria, who come to watch the parades of people dressed in medieval costumes ,musicians, jugglers, armigers and knights, who populate the narrow streets.  



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