Montblanc, an hour and a half from Barcelona in the province of Tarragona, will be transformed this weekend into a scene from the Middle Ages with the celebration of its medieval fair, the largest in Catalonia.
With a program combining a market, crafts, wines, performances, and the grand “Representació de la Llegenda de Sant Jordi” as the centerpiece of a festival now in its 39th year, the streets and squares of Montblanc will host a packed schedule over ten days, from April 17 to 26, beginning on Friday the 17th.
The opening ceremony will feature the arrival of the Royal Procession from the Pont Vell and the symbolic presentation of the first rose of the year, while in the evening, visitors can enjoy the show Dracum Nocte i els quatre elements, a theatrical production combining light, sound, pyrotechnics, and video projections on the city walls that evokes the arrival of the forces of evil.
Program for Montblanc Medieval Week
The two main weekends (April 18–19 and 25–26) will see the town’s busiest activity, with the Medieval Market and Crafts Fair open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Alongside this, the Medieval Wine Market will be set up in the Fossar of the Sant Francesc wall and will feature fourteen wineries, including Celler Carles Andreu, Mas Foraster, Gerida Viticultors, and Vinícola de Sarral, among others.
On Saturday, April 18 , the two performances of the 39th Representació de la Llegenda de Sant Jordi will take place on Passeig de Joan Martí i Alanis (El Foradot), at 9:15 PM and 11:00 PM.
Among other new features, this edition will include events such as the Jordi Savall Festival: on Saturday, April 25, at 12:45 p.m., giant chess, and the 20th anniversary of the Dúcties.
By the way, there will be no Medieval Dinner this year, as the old church of Sant Francesc is undergoing renovation work with an investment of nearly three million euros.
Instead, on Friday, April 24, a special evening will be held in Plaça de Sant Francesc featuring dances and other activities.
The festival will conclude on Sunday, April 26, with a reenactment of the Catalan Cortes of 1414 at the Church of Santa Maria, an event with limited capacity for the general public.
The full program can be viewed at this link. Some events, such as the Dracum or Les Nits Malignes, require a ticket.
