2015 Sighisoara Medieval Festival aims to break triple record: the longest sword, the largest flag, the biggest pretzel

The 23^rd edition of Sighisoara Medieval Festival aims a triple Guinness World Records entry, with the longest sword, the largest festival flag and the biggest round-shaped pretzel.

“We want to surprise the audience with a new theme, namely ‘Five Centuries of Medieval Music and Theater’. The organizer of the festival, the ‘Scena’ Theatre Cultural Association, decided that we should join the race for the Guinness World Records with the largest sword hammered during a medieval festival, the largest flag flown during a medieval art festival and the world’s biggest round-shaped pretzel, intended to measure 20 meters in diameter. At national level, craftsmen from Moldavia and Maramures plan to break another record by crafting the largest folk art mask — with an estimated height of four meters,” said the Festival’s artistic director Liviu Pancu, as quoted by Agerpres.

The 4-metre long sword will be hammered during the festival by a team of blacksmiths from Targu Mures, Sighisoara and Bistrita, and its cross guard will be decorated with the crest of Sighisoara, the coat of arms of the Wolf Knights and the coat of arms of the Knights Templar.

The 30m-long flag will be hoisted in the Clock Tower at the entrance to the Citadel, and will carry the insignia of the Sighisoara Medieval Festival, symbolizing the organizers’ desire to have the first medieval East-European centre set up within the festival.

As for the hopefully record-breaker pretzel, 50 volunteers, all of them baking industry professionals, will knead the dough.

Liviu Pancu also said that the Sighisoara Medieval Festival is the first festival-show in Romania, and that this edition will also see the minstrels “facing off” in the central square of the Medieval Fortress.

The 2015 edition of the festival is due on July 23 — 26, with the first day devoted to craftsmen, while the shows will be in the spotlight in the following three days.

This year, the organizers also decided to posthumously name highly acclaimed film director and actor Sergiu Nicolaescu honorary director of the event, with the program also including tribute screenings of his films “The Immortals” and “François Villon — The Vagabond Poet.”