Autumn is the perfect season for diving into the atmosphere of village festivals! On Sunday, 17 October, I chose a destination I had not as yet explored: the St Martin’s Pumpkin Festival at Terzo d’Aquileia, which this year has reached its eighteenth edition.

What a surprise this interesting village is, which for the occasion has become the scene of a medieval re-enactment penned in minutest detail. To welcome the numerous visitors, there are ladies, knights, archers, spice merchants, card sharps and jugglers who with itinerant shows and parades entertained the audience and provided a colourful day.

Strictly typical medieval costumes were also worn by the sellers at the stalls scattered all around the village and featuring traditional products, local handicrafts and, of course, pumpkins of all varieties and sizes; these are the undisputed stars of the festival. Like many other girls and young women, won over by the folkloric mood, we improvised ourselves medieval ladies with an ornament of pretty wreaths of flowers created by the artisans of the village.

Smaller children had the opportunity to admire heavy armour, shields and sharp swords from close to, and for a day become young archers, feeling the excitement of archery and shooting a crossbow. The whole district near the famous medieval church of San Martino has devoted itself to the ancient art of spinning wool and the display of wonderful birds of prey of various kinds and provenance.

Like any respectable village fête, there were plenty of food stalls with local delicacies. The most popular was the baker's stand with doughnuts and cakes stuffed with pumpkin jam and fragrant pumpkin bread buns with raisins. Definitely worth a taste! This was a day full of tradition and culture that for a few hours made me a little girl again!