Palmanova, the star-shaped fortress-city UNESCO World Heritage, is preparing for a weekend out of time. From September 4 to 6 the scene unfolds “A.D. 1615 Palma at Arms”, the historical reenactment that every year returns the Friulian town by more than four centuries, with parades in period costume, duels, and an encampment that occupies the bastions of the fortress.
The 2026 edition carries a special meaning: the 50 years of the event are being celebrated, born in 1977 and becoming one of Europe’s most important historical reenactment gatherings.
Palma at Arms: the 2026 program
The program follows a precise narrative thread: reliving the events and daily life of Palmanova in 1615. The debut is set for Friday evening, with the parade of the historical groups taking part, and it closes on Sunday with the lowering of the city’s gonfalon.
Among the novelties of the 50th edition is the mounted quintana, scheduled for Saturday at 16:00, which foreshadows the day’s climax, namely the grand battle at 18:00. Surrounding these two moments is the beating heart of the reenactment, the historical camp set up on the bastions inside and outside Porta Cividale, with over 400 tents recreating a genuine village of the era.
Wandering among the tents, one can encounter noble ladies, camp followers, men-at-arms, mercenaries, artisans and merchants: figures that animate the fortress spaces, showing how civil and military life of the time was organized. Not only battles, therefore, but also crafts, markets and convivial moments, such as “The Provveditore’s Goblets”, the tasting of local wines that Friday evening brings to life the Loggia of the Square together with traditional dishes.
To give an idea of the event’s scale are the numbers: over 1,300 reenactors, belonging to 60 historical groups, arriving from 14 European countries to participate in this fiftieth edition.
It is no coincidence that the celebrations have been organized on such a grand scale: Palma at Arms has become over the years a fixed event for enthusiasts, families and the curious, capable of attracting generations of different ages to the same weekend of festivity.
A success that has also drawn the attention of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, which now aims to create a network among the region’s historical reenactments: behind the event there is indeed a new regional law that supports manifestations certified for authenticity of the reconstruction, with the goal of turning them into a true tourist draw.
Tickets and prices
To attend the main activities of the reenactment, an entry ticket is required. The standard price is 7 euros, while residents of Palmanova pay a discounted rate of 2 euros; entry is free for children under 14. With the ticket you gain access to the mounted quintana, the battle, the educational activities at Porta Cividale and the Emporium Athestinum, the historic market set up for the occasion.
For those in the area in early September, “Palma at Arms” is therefore an opportunity to visit the town in a unique way: not a simple costume festival, but a true leap back in time inside one of Europe’s best-preserved fortified cities.
