The island of Pag returns to the Middle Ages.
For two days, Pag has returned to 1192, the year when the local people won a great victory over mercenaries and preserved their independence. At the citadel in the Pag Old Town, next to St. Mary’s church from 13th century, special celebrations took place with numerous medieval games, tournaments, competitions and medieval dances. Everything ended with a reenactment of the great battle of 1192. All this happened during the 5th Pag Medieval Fair, which was organized by the Center for Culture and Information and the Paška Alka Association, funded by the city of Pag and the Zadar County, according to an article in Novi List on August 6, 2015.
“It was appropriate for this medieval program to be organized in such authentic atmosphere”, said Ivana Portada, president of the Paška Alka Association. “We were pleased to have with us numerous guests who performed beautiful programs, as well as many visitors, both local people and tourists. The fair is organized to encourage the revival of medieval games and contests, and to contribute to the revival of the archaeological site of the Pag Old Town. This is the fifth year of the fair, and it is a part of a larger project called Pag – A Medieval Town.”
“The goal of this program is the renewal of medieval traditions and enrichment of the cultural programmes during the tourist season”, said Dijana Vuleta, director of the Centre for Culture and Information. “I would like to thank the town of Pag and the Zadar County for their assistance, and everyone else who helped us.”
During the fair, in an authentic atmosphere of the Pag Old Town, participants were wearing medieval uniforms of citizens, aristocrats, noblemen, city guards, archers, knights, princes and city councilors. The Pag Old Town is an archaeological site dating from tenth to fifteenth century, with the remains of streets, squares, city walls, citizen and noblemen houses, city hall, numerous churches, salt warehouses and a port.
