Nadine Jensen Milking

With the exhibition of the dead in Perugia, you will return at the time municipal

The Fair of the Dead is held in the first week of November since the Middle Ages, initially took place in the center, currently is held in Piazzale Umbria Jazz, the area grounded. From 1 to 6 November 2010 will be held at Pian di Massiano the traditional Fair of the Dead.

The establishment of the "Fair of the Dead" coincides with the age of Perugia town, in medieval times. We have written evidence of the fair since 1260 and from this evidence that was already defined then as "customary." His name was "Fair All Saints', so named because it was located in the Fair calendar during this religious festival.

Fair Perugia was part of a full calendar of trade fairs and merchant then present in Umbria in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It was notable relief of the Fair at the regional level, being placed in the Perugia road from Florence to Foligno and Ancona and in view of great commercial importance of the nearby Via Flaminia.

The fairs of the time possessed the main function of trade in agricultural products and livestock. No accident occurred in the summer and autumn, and the wide availability of agricultural produce harvested during the year to enable the population the local "supply" problems before winter.

All Saints Fair in Perugia, since sec. XIII, was frequented by Florentines, Siena, Cortona, Fabriano, in particular, was very fertile relationship with Tuscany along the Perugia-Florence, which has been known to send specific invitations formally sent to the municipality of Perugia other Tuscan cities.

During the period of the Fair All Saints' games were held in Perugia with a long tradition as the bull hunt, and the travel of the Palio race or quintana.

Only from '600 Fair All Saints will be called "the dead", while 800 will take the current name of "Exhibition of the dead." The significance of this choice seems to express the desire to make compatible the memory and the ritual reunion with the ancestors with the need to mitigate the feeling of sadness, however, in memory of the absence. The collective ritual of the festival includes even the custom of eating sweet called "stinchetti", "bones of the dead", "beans of the dead", as if in search of a "communion" and secular festive with the dead.

taken from Umbria, the travel portal Umbria.

For those wishing to explore the theme of death in the Middle Ages invitation to read the article Death in the Middle Ages by Linda Cavadini