Since 2016, Merlin Association is organizing thematic medieval events in the rural areas of Istria and Liburnia. The goals of these manifestations are to preserve the cultural and historical heritage outside the tourist centers; to involve the participants from local community by motivating the population through a creative thematic story and by reviving the traditional crafts; to involve the family run farms (OPG), other associations and local action groups (LAG) in the activities; to launch the international co-operation of organizations for revived medieval history; to develop the manifestation content and activities; to provide the visibility of manifestations in the media of Istria and Primorsko-goranska County.
MEDIEVAL VEPRINAC is a manifestation that takes place at the end of April. This manifestation has revived the traditional event of Markova Fair organized by KD Veprinac. The participants are several associations for revived 13-15 st century history, presenting medieval lifestyle, clothing and crafts. In addition, the participants are also children from the Veprinac Elementary School who made their own medieval costumes. Veprinac Fair features the medieval campsite with tents, weaving looms, tables, beds, fireplaces and kitchen. Presentation of archery and fencing medieval skills is provided at two other locations at Veprinac. The members and employees of the Association are active participants in the fair, together with the painters and volunteers. The Association has acquired the original equipment and made costumes for the participants for this particular event.
DVEGRAJSKI SAMANJ (Medieval Fair Dvigrad) is organized in cooperation with the Tourist Board and the Municipality of Kanfanar and the Moncastell Catering Trade in the tourist pre-season time, in mid-May. The archaeological area of the medieval Dvigrad is the foundation of cultural identity of Kanfanar. Dvigrad is a unique town, in the Italian dialect known as Moncastel, along with Parentine Castles like Duo Castra, Due Castelli, Dvegrad. We are cooperating with the Dvegrajci Association and local primary school as well as with several international associations for revived history from Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Slovakia.
Through the project of the Primorsko-Goranska County named "Putevima Frankopana", Merlin Association has been working together with other project participants on the design of the calendar, and it also participates in the promotion of this project in Bakar, Grobnik and Rijeka. In Istria, Merlin organizes the reenactment of medieval life at Liznjan Legend and Veli Joze in Motovun manifestations.
The purpose of the development of cultural and historical manifestations such as this one is the discovery of historical monuments and sites that will have positive effects on their maintenance and preservation. It is also important to initiate such manifestations because of the socio-cultural and economic benefits they bring to local population and the young people who are encouraged to stay in local community and not leave the area.
During the summer, we participate in several manifestations with a traditional weaving on weaving loom workshop, woven belts, and upright weaving loom for linen weaving. In collaboration with the Association for the Revived History of St. The Vid from Rijeka we are also present at several international medieval knights' tournaments and the "Renaissance Festival in Koprivnica" and other events of revived history in Croatia and neighboring countries Italy and Hungary.
