Sighișoara hosts the biggest medieval festival in Romania which reached the 23rd edition this year. Every year, people gather in the magical place that is the Sighișoara Citadel to enjoy 3-4 days of medieval music, theatrical performances, medieval costume expositions, medieval dancing competitions and medieval poetry reading.
Like every year, the 23rd edition was held on the last weekend of July (this year 23-26 July) with the theme “Minstrels and Troubadours – 5 centuries of medieval music and theatre”. The artistic manager wanted to impress the attendees by setting three world records worthy of the Guinness Book.
The first record is for biggest sword built at a medieval festival. Several craftsmen from Târgu Mureș, Sighișoara and Bistrița were commissioned for this significant enterprise. The 4.5 meter-high Titans’ Sword was adorned with a series of coats of arms: of Sighișoara, of the Wolf Knights and of Saint Bernard’s Knights Templar.
The second record-breaking achievement was a 30 meter long and 5 meter wide flag that was intended as the largest flag to be hoisted at a medieval festival. The Knights’ Flag was placed on top of the Clock Tower and bore the insignia of the festival. The flag signifies the organisers’ desire to establish the first East-European Medieval Centre in Transylvania.
And the final item on the agenda was the largest round bagel in the world, entitled The Food of the Giants. It was made from 100 kilograms of flour and it had a 20 meter diameter. Pajin Dionisie, a baker from Sighișoara, was hired to bake this enormous bagel but he was also helped by 50 volunteers.
This edition commemorated the life and work of late Romanian film director and actor, Sergiu Nicolaescu, who was named the honorary director of the festival. He was the most popular Romanian movie director and had a prolific 55 year career. His most famous movies are The Dacians (1966), Michael the Brave (1970), and War of Independence (1977). A couple of his films (The Immortals and Francois Villon – the vagabond poet) were screened during the festival.
Sources:
“Festivalul Medieval Sighișoara”, Romguide, Available at: http://www.romguide.ro/Viziteaza/Festivalul-medieval-Sighisoara_vt3b , Accessed: 08.12.2015.
“Sergiu Nicolaescu. Biography”, Imdb, Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0630197/bio?ref_=nm_dyk_trv_sm#trivia, Accessed: 08.12.2015.
Anghel, Carmen, “Festivalul Sighişoara Medievală vrea în Guinness Book”, Evenimentul Zilei, July 23rd 2015, Available at: http://www.evz.ro/festivalul-sighisoara-medievala-vrea-in-guinness-book.html, Accessed: 08.12.2015.
Călin, Dorina, “Începe Festivalul Sighişoara Medievală: Organizatorii îşi propun doborârea unui record mondial în fiecare zi a evenimentului”, Mediafax, July 22nd 2015, Available at: http://www.mediafax.ro/cultura-media/incepe-festivalul-sighisoara-medievala-organizatorii-isi-propun-doborarea-unui-record-mondial-in-fiecare-zi-a-evenimentului-14624258, Accessed: 08.12.2015.
Matiș, Dorina, “Festivalul Sighișoara Medievală XXIII va încerca să intre în Guinness Book cu trei recorduri”, Agerpress, June 30th 2015, Available at: http://www.agerpres.ro/cultura/2015/06/30/festivalul-sighisoara-medievala-xxiii-va-incerca-sa-intre-in-guinness-book-cu-trei-recorduri-16-52-14, Accessed: 08.14.2015.
Andra Mihaela Cimpean
International editions: