(Peter Jaeger/Stars and Stripes)

Noli, Italy, Sept. 14, 2008: Knights wielding swords and shields clash during the Regata Storica, Noli's medieval festival, as a crowd gathers to watch. Once every year the quiet town explodes into a firework of colors, sounds and sights when the Regata Storica, or Historical Regatta is held the second weekend in September each year. Before the race a colorful parade meanders through the city's medieval center, and townspeople and visitors can quench their thirst at the medieval market or watch knights battle each other.

Check out Stripes Europe's list of the best medieval festivals in Europe this summer here.