What is the Historical Re-enactment

Reenactment is a social phenomenon involving hundreds of actors and extras- most of which are amateurs-, who devote their spare time recreating dresses, tools, music, jewels, pottery, weaponry, etc. from former historical periods in order to act out and commit to memory historical events, battles or daily life episodes which took place in the past. On this website a list of the main reenactment festivals in Catalonia can be found.

Challenges in reenactment are twofold. First, is the manufacturing and replica-making of materials with the strictest historical accuracy, obtaining models from archaeology records, iconographic remains or from literary descriptions. The second challenge is the staging and performance of realistic scenes of the daily civil, religious and military life. In this sense, reenactment groups attempt to replicate the exact tools, professions, dresses, jewels, religious ceremonies or situations and conversations of the daily life in the greatest detail and historical faithfulness, for educational or experimental purposes, or just for mere personal enjoyment.

However, far from a purely festive or commercial approach, reenactment performances aim to explain to the general public and also to historians and History teachers the state of knowledge on particular aspects of a given historical period. Hence, when reenactment is rigorously performed, it shows in a serious and attractive way to the non-specialised public, aspects of history that may even be of interest to specialists.