Historical Re-enactment » Events and Festivals » Espectacle El Setge de Miravet

Espectacle El Setge de Miravet

Població: Miravet (Ribera d'Ebre)
Dates: Consultar web oficial
Època: Edat Mitjana
Pàgina web: http://www.elsetgedemiravet.org/

The Siege of Miravet is a dramatic and musical work acting out the end of the Templar Order in the Crown of Aragon under Jaume II rule (1308). Thanks to author Santi Marsal's thorough research on the subject, since 1996 the Cultural Association La Tàpera in Miravet has been organising the performance of this historical episode in the same castle where the siege occurred 700 years ago.

By the second half of 11th Century, while Europe was shaking with the advance of Muslims in Orient, newly appointed Popes decided a turnaround in the widespread feeling of gloom was needed. Pope Gregory VII, breaking with Christianity's vision upon the use of violence, was the first Pope to launch the thought a war to assist the Byzantine Empire might be needed. The following Pope, Urban II, took it into practice and made a call to the First Crusade (1095).

The First Crusade culminated with Jerusalem's take-over in 1099. Conquered territories notably revived pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but routes were full of risks and pilgrims had to face the journey unprotected. By the end of 12th Century a small group of Crusades knights started to offer pilgrims their protection. The Templar Order was officially born in 1120.

In a few decades the Order spread over all Western Europe thanks to Papal privileges, donations and the development of an efficient bank system, with credits and guarantees. In early 13th century the Order was the most powerful organisation in Europe, with some 30.000 knights and abundant cash to which indebted European monarchs often appealed.

In the Seventh Crusade, king Louis IX of France was captured in Egypt (1248) and the Temple Order handed over a tremendous sum of money for his ransom. In 1307, his grandson Philip IV, still bearing the debt, convinced Pope Clement V to pioneer a process against the Order accusing them of sacrilege, heresy and sodomy.

On 13th October 1307, all Templars in France were arrested and admitted their crimes under torture. News quickly arrived to the Principality of Catalonia. King Jaume II, although initially not sure about what had to be done, eventually ordered the capture of all Templars in the Crown of Aragon on 1st December. Order commanders quickly surrendered to the King and by the end of year only the castles of Miravet and Ascó still challenged the Crown.

On February 13th 1308, the castle of Miravet was sieged but managed to resist deprivations and blockage until illnesses and misery overrode the moral of the 28 Templars who remained in it. On 12th December 1308, the king's officers entered the castle and arrested 22 Templars who gave away weapons without opposing battle. The following day, the last 6 knights who had resisted surrender were captured.

As far as the show is concerned, more than 100 actors take part in it, all of them amateur and from neighbouring villages. A few perform as Muslims and Jews, others enact Templar knights, some others are king Jaume II soldiers and the rest are Popes and diplomats. Music plays an important role in the performance and is composed and directed by the director of Miravet's Band and Music School. The final quality of the product is so high it can be recorded and sold in a compact disk (CD).