Every year in May Buti takes a leap into the Middle Ages with a festival that arrived last year at the seventh edition. This festival is made at Castel Tonini which is the fortification that dominates and protected the ancient village of Buti, a small town in the province of Pisa, Tuscany. The ancient village still maintains numerous streets and buildings that bring back to the ancient medieval atmosphere. It is a small village very interesting to visit, unfortunately the castle proceeds more and more towards ruin, although the municipality is trying by all means to preserve this heritage, but the prohibitive cost (we talk about 3 million euros) for the renovation at the moment prevents any intervention. On these two days, usually on a Saturday and a Sunday in May, this village is transformed and in every alley, square and in some building you relive the medieval atmosphere with themed market, singers, falconers and various shows.
In the markets you can find weapons, musical instruments and costumes of the time with various accessories. The various quaint stalls are served by costumed people and some illustrate the ancient crafts. There is no shortage of falconers with the extraordinary trained falcons who make a truly unique spectacle. On the streets and squares, street performers, jesters and masked characters, they cheer up the days of the festival with their games, but it is the evening of Saturday that the atmosphere takes on a unique charm with fire games. There are taverns that offer typical medieval dishes and special performances of dances and games, and warriors with crushes and helmets face off with the sword and give combat demonstrations. It is a very suitable festival for families with children who will appreciate both the costumes and the settings but especially the games. Shows of jugglers and jesters, waders and medieval dances will brighter these two truly special and unmissable days.
