The Historical Reenactment is the most striking event of the Chestnut Festival. It evokes, with a series of stage paintings, the main historical events experienced by Soriano from 1200 to 1489.
This event is interpreted by the actors of the theatre company “La Vojola” of Soriano.
The event is attended by all four districts with their groups, musicians, flag-wavers, swordsmen, and firebreathers .
The events represented are:

The Rose and the Angel

La Grande Storia passa anche per la piccola Soriano: la giovane Rosa, poi diventata la santa di Viterbo, ne viene però prima scacciata via repentinamente per il suo atteggiamento ispirato a S. Francesco, avverso ai regnanti di allora: nella notte del rigido 4 dicembre 1250, Rosa trova rifugio nell’accogliente rocca di Soriano.
Qui, prima di imboccare la strada della santità, le appare un angelo che annuncia la morte dell’imperatore Federico II, lo “stupor mundi” che aveva cambiato il mondo di allora.
Dopo pochi giorni, la profezia dell’angelo si avvera e Rosa continua la sua opera di evangelizzazione nei territori intorno a Soriano fino alla morte avvenuta pochi mesi dopo, a soli 18 anni.

The Papal Bull

Pope Nicholas III proclaimed in Soriano the Papal Bull “Exiit qui seminat” to reaffirm the Franciscan order and to define the papal appointment for the control of the Franciscan property. This event is celebrated with a painting in the church of Santa Maria of  Poggio.

Dante Alighieri cites Pope Nicholas III in hell, inserting the pope among the Simoniacs. The habit of the nepotism, which continued until the 1800’s, seems indeed to have started from the behavior of Nicholas III. He assigned principalities and dukedoms to his relatives in an attempt to form a great state together with Tuscany and Romagna. Pope Niccolò III died in the castle of Soriano in 1280, which he built in just two years.

L’esecuzione del di Vico (The Execution of Di Vico) – 1443

With the passage from the Pope Martino V Colonna to Eugene IV (1431), the throne no longer recognized the papal authority and alliance with Giacomo Di Vico, who was the  Prefect of Vetralla for the preservation of the territories. Di Vico in turn formed an alliance with Francesco Sforza, who in 1434 descended from Milan to occupy various territories of Tuscia.

When the Sforzas made peace with Pope Eugene IV, he entrusted the barony of Soriano to the Cardinal-warrior John Vitelleschi. He captured Di Vico and condemned him to death, carrying out the decapitation in the square.

Il “Fosso del Buonincontro” (The “Ditch of the Good Encounter”) – 1489

In 1484 Pope Innocenzo VIII ascended to the throne and Soriano was entrusted to the Borgias. They nominated him as Lord Didaco of Carvajal, and he was then treacherously assassinated by Count Pietro Paolo Nardini in an attempt to seize the Barony with the Vignanellesi. But, the Sorianesi discovered the deception in time (according to the legend thanks to the “old lady of the Carnaiolo”), and during a memorable battle defeated the Vignanellesi at the “Ditch of the Good Encounter” thus avoiding losing control over their lands.

Pope Innocent VIII awarded the fidelity of the Sorianesi by proclaiming the “Golden Bull”, granting privileges to the population, and adding the word “Fidelitas” to the village’s coat of arms.