Rab revisited - Rudolf Abraham | Travel Writer

Rab Medieval Crossbow Tournament. Rab, Croatia. © Rudolf Abraham

Rab Medieval Crossbow Tournament, on the island of Rab, Croatia, photography © Rudolf Abraham — Rab Medieval Crossbow Tournament, on the island of Rab, Croatia. © Rudolf Abraham. All Rights Reserved.

The Rab Medieval Crossbow Tournament dates back to the 14th century and marks the successful defense of the city against a seige in 1358. It was revived by the Rab Crossbowmen’s Association (Udruga rapskih samostrelicara) in 1995, and is held annually on 9 May, 25 June, 27 July (St Christopher’s Day, the city’s patron saint) and 15 August (Assumption Day). It is one of only two such tournaments using the medieval crossbow (the other is in San Marino in Italy) – a heavy weapon which shoots a handcrafted wooden bolt at speeds of around 90m per second.
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