Association

THE TOLENTINO 815 ASSOCIATION

The Tolentino 815 Association, in cooperation with the Municipality of Tolentino , organises a historical re-enactment event of the Battle of Tolentino, as occurred the 2 nd and 3 rd of May 1815 between the Neapolitan army of Gioacchino Murat, King of Naples, and the Austrian army led by the Baron Frederick Bianchi; considered by many historians as the first for Italian Indipendence.
Tolentino was caught at the crossroads of Italian national history: the beginning and end of the french-italian era, between a decline of papal power (Treaty of Tolentino signed on 19 February 1797 between Napoleone Bonaparte and Pope Pio VI ‘s representative) and the origins of the Italian Resurgence or “Risorgimento” (Battle of Tolentino).
The manifestation held once a year since 1996, is at the Castle of the “Rancia”, and the Tolentino town center, on the first Sunday each May;it alternates between battle reenactmens and a display of historical military groups.
Reenactement members of historical italian and foreign groups take part with the uniforms, arms and equipment of the age, as they conduct parades, manoeuvres, military drill and simulate the fighting between the armies.
“Tolentino 815” is a unique historical military re-enactment in central Italy .

The even interested the others towns involved in the 1815 Battle : Pollenza, theater of ferocius clashes near the Cantagallo hill; Macerata, headquarter of the Neapolitan army; Colmurano, where general Sailliè, aide de camp of king Murat, was captured.
All is made even more spectacular with a “cavalry charge” of the 2nd Regimento of Lights – Horse Kingdom of Naples 1815 , a historical reenactment group from the 815 Association, and one of the most numerous groups of it’s type.
This unique iniziative, is of great national and international value, and can be described as a prime example of “living experimental archaelogy”.

The purpose is to promote a view of culture and tourisme of Tolentino and the surrounding areas; allowing one to re-live the past and know of it, through exacting historical re-enactment, as true as possible, with addition of spectacle.
The Tolentino 815 Association deals with various initiatives: conventions, meeting, research and publications; it promotes study travel, encounters and exchanges with orgnanizations and entities, both public and private, italians and foreign.
The objective is the recovery and fruition of the artistic and historical heritage tied to the events, in order to form a Historical Park of the Battle of Tolentino involving Macerata and Pollenza , and a Museum of the Battle and Arms with a related documentary library Center, a photographic section and a diorama, to the Rancia’s Castle.

The programme of the historical re-enactment , rich and dense of complementary happenings foresees the involvement of seceral Authority, Associations, Firms and principally of citizens, it is concentrated along seven days.
There are events representing and reenacting a part of XIX century life, in its multiple aspects: art, culture, music, gastronomic and recreational ones. The life of the soldier is reconstructed exactly like it was two hundred years ago: organisation, manoeuvres, arms-drill, parades, ration, patrol service and off duty time. Guided tours to the historical camps and the contact with the reenactors, infuse the public with their passion.