A medieval festival will be held on Saturday beside the Franciscan Church in Szeged, where cultural programs, medieval weapons and combat demonstrations, traditional dances, and children’s activities will commemorate the 570th anniversary of the Siege of Belgrade, the organizers announced.
The event was launched in 2006, on the 550th anniversary of the Siege of Belgrade, by staff members of the cultural center of the Franciscan monastery in Szeged’s Lower Town. Their aim was to create a celebration honoring John Hunyadi’s victory over the Ottomans and, alongside the many national days of mourning, to also pay tribute to Hungary’s great historic victories.
In the summer of 1456, the crusaders led by Saint John of Capistrano stopped near the Franciscan monastery in Szeged, at what is now Mátyás Square, on their way south.
The location therefore has a direct connection to the historic events commemorated by the ‘Belgrade Victory Days.’
Participants of Szeged’s only cultural program dedicated to reviving medieval traditions, which has now been held for more than two decades, will gather on Saturday morning at Klauzál Square in the city center. The lively procession, featuring musicians, drummers, and flag bearers, will then make its way to the Franciscan Church and monastery in the Lower Town, where visitors will be able to enjoy live role-playing, a children’s knight tournament, the interactive “Dragon Trail” game, a knight-themed craft workshop, and a falconry demonstration.
Visitors will be able to admire costumes and weapons at close range and experience what life was like in the military camps of King Matthias Corvinus’s famous Black Army.
Alongside martial arts displays, knightly duels, and demonstrations of medieval weapons and warfare, members of historical reenactment groups will organize dance events and concerts. Thanks to the Historical Society of Marót, visitors will also learn what firearms were used during the Ottoman period.
The program will conclude after sunset, with a fire show and fire duel by the St. Longinus Historical Society instead of fireworks. The following morning, a ceremonial mass will be held at the Franciscan Church in honor of the 570th anniversary of the Siege of Belgrade.
The Christian Hungarian forces led by John Hunyadi inflicted a crushing defeat on the army of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II on July 22, 1456. In 2011, the Hungarian Parliament declared the date a national day of remembrance for the Siege of Belgrade.
(Hungary Today / MTI)
Coverphoto: Statue of John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János) in Pécs. Photo: MTI/Ruprech Judit
