La Véraison is the medieval festival held in the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
In the 14th century, Clement VI, the Pope of Avignon in 1342, would spend summer at his residence at Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The village would organise a grand welcome to celebrate the arrival of the pontifical court.
Since then, the festive tradition is celebrated every first week-end in August with medieval music, dance, street parades and a tournament of knights on horseback.
People are dressed in medieval costume and walk the streets among visitors and tourists. Stalls of wine offer free drinks, pastries of the Middle Ages are for sale, and medieval costumes shops sell costumes for adults and children. This musical group is from Ales.
La Véraison is a 3-day festival beginning on Friday evening, and Sunday starts with a mass in the provençal language.
