Biot and the Templars is a historical event organized by the City of Biot, with its first edition having taken place in 2009 to mark the 800th anniversary since the arrival of the first Knights Templar in Biot in 1209.
Since then, the festival has become a fixture in the cultural calendar of the Alpes-Maritimes as well as within the French landscape of historical events, establishing itself as a reference event capable of attracting more than 40,000 people to the site over the course of a weekend.
Skillfully blending grand spectacle with a commitment to authenticity, gathering high-quality troupes renowned for their sense of history and educational focus, Biot and the Templars invites participants every edition to a genuine immersion into the medieval era, engaging all the senses.
From Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6, for the 6th edition of Biot and the Templars, the City of Biot brings back the Knights of the Order of the Temple to the city for an amazing journey back to the Middle Ages.
For the occasion, the City of Biot gathers around fifteen troupes bringing together French, Italian, and Spanish Knights of the Order of the Temple, as well as members of the Hospitaller Orders, the Holy Sepulchre, and Saint Lazarus, along with mercenaries, beggars, and peasants who set up their tents in the five camps across the city. About twenty art and craft workshops showcase various medieval techniques.
Five troupes of musicians from France, the Czech Republic, and Portugal will fill the streets of Biot with their harmonies. Attendees will be able to enjoy period flavors at the three taverns on site and shop at the extensive medieval market featuring over 60 stalls.
In total, nearly 300 participants will engage in the three-day event, recreating life in the 13th century. To further immerse themselves in the atmosphere, the public can rent period costumes.
The staging of the festival is punctuated by many unmissable events: the opening night featuring fireworks, solemn costumed parades including two torch-lit nighttime processions, knight melees and duels, equestrian and falconry shows, musical walks and the medieval ball, theatrical sketches, and a great treasure hunt, all ensuring a full range of sensations.
Biot and the Templars is designed to appeal to those who love spectacular moments, entertain families and children, captivate history enthusiasts, and satisfy the curiosities of those who enjoy being pleasantly surprised.
The recipe for this success: passionate history troupes committed to authenticity as well as sharing their knowledge, an expert blend of grand spectacle, conviviality, and sharing, knowledge dissemination, and games, all offered free to the public.
Since its first edition in 2009, Biot and the Templars has established itself as a reference event in the world of historical and medieval reenactments, attracting more than 40,000 people to the streets of Biot for a weekend.
Let’s remember that the history of the city is closely linked to that of the Templars, as in 1209, the Order of the Temple was granted the enjoyment of the lands of Biot, which they would prosper for a hundred years.
