Like in a movie
You are the protagonist
A true live-action roleplay (larp) event where you can experience first-hand the atmosphere and emotions inspired by the magical world of Harry Potter, The Colour of Magic, The Books of Magic graphic novel, The Magicians tv series.
A real castle
A magical atmosphere
Three days and two nights of sleep, meals, roleplay, evocative settings, all set within a real Italian castle.
One hundred characters
Choose your role
Students, professors, mages, personalities of the magical world and original characters: you will step into the shoes of iconic figures or entirely new ones.
Only one date
Limited slots
Arcaniversitas and the Black Sphinx will take place from 20 to 22 November 2026. The participation fee includes 2 overnight stays, 2 breakfasts, 4 meals, and the larp..
Enchanting and charming, poetic and adventurous, magical and kaleidoscopic.
The Arcane University of Magic and Witchcraft in Roccantica reopens its doors to welcome wizards and witches who will face secrets, intrigues, and conflicts.
The evocative and mysterious setting of Arcaniversitas, the blockbuster larp that has thrilled and moved hundreds of players, returns with a true remake that draws on ten years of events set in the Arcaniverse: the classic Arcaniversitas and Magicampus series, Torrebruma Campus, the prequel to Arcaniversitas set between 1943 and 1945.
The intricate alleys of Collescuro, the classrooms of Roccantica, the tower overlooking the village, and the surrounding forest will be the backdrop for the events that will come to life in the choral tale of Arcaniversitas and the Black Sphinx.
OUR INSPIRATIONS
PHILOSOPHY & GAMEPLAY
Is Arcaniversitas your first larp? Click here.
Arcaniversitas is not an escape room, not a competition, not a goal-oriented game.
It is a choral, magical, and dramatic story, where what truly matters is to create intense and beautiful experiences together, deeply emotional.
Whether you play a student, a professor or a mysterious figure of the magical world, remember: this is not a challenge, but an experience to be lived.
In Arcaniversitas, players are fundamentally responsible for the quality of everyone’s experience. Just as other players are responsible for yours.
“Play to lose” by choosing a character who can embrace defeat or allow secrets to slip, enriching the drama of the scenes you create and always respect and support those around you who are sharing the same attitude.
In Arcaniversitas there are no winners or losers, the key is to feel emotions and inspire others. Play to feel.
WHAT'S IN STORE
- An entire Tuscan village with a tower, exclusively reserved
- Magic, mystery, and wonder
- An original setting with lively and cozy tones
- A world where Good ultimately always triumphs
- Carefully crafted, detailed characters developed by the creative team
- Moral conflicts
- Deep relationships, an invitation to dialogue and meaningful choices
- Secrets waiting to be uncovered
- Academy-style play
- Duels and spell-based combat
- The possibility to play a dark wizard
- Strong focus on player agency
- Play to lift
- Play to lose
- Responsive setting
- 24/7 in-game continuity
- Workshops
- Meta-techniques
- Fateplay
- Historic residence–style hospitality services
- Tuscan cuisine with top-quality ingredients
- A breathtaking panorama
- Thematic set design and costumes
- Photo and video coverage
- A safety team always at your disposal
- A welcoming and inclusive community
WHAT'S NOT
- Competitive play and play to win
- Physical combat with prop weapons
- Physical exertion, running, and chases
- A fully sandbox experience
- Filler characters written only as extras
- Escapism and disengagement play
- Complex rules and scores to keep track of
- Pay to win
LOCATION
The Magical Village of Borgotorvo
AN ENTIRE MEDIEVAL VILLAGE
Arcaniversitas and the Black Sphinx take place inside Gargonza Castle (AR), a magical medieval village immersed in a vast enchanted forest, carefully restored and equipped with every modern comfort.
An historic residence
Live the experience
Gargonza is also a hospitality facility that welcomes its guests in refined rooms, furnished with charm, air conditioning and private bathrooms.
A dedicated restaurant
Savor the magic
Lunches, dinners and breakfasts will be served in the evocative atmosphere of the Locanda Zaccari.
Fully exclusive spaces
A unique setting
Participants will have exclusive access to the entire medieval village, including interior spaces, outdoor areas and the surrounding forest. Gargonza is ready to host the most magical holiday of the year.
1. Sign up for the event
Tickets are limited
Complete the registration form, pay the non-refundable ticket and wait for confirmation.
2. Join the community
Get in touch
Join our WhatsApp group.
You will be in direct contact with the organizers and other participants to ask questions and get to know each other.
3. Choose your role
A cast of protagonists
In a few weeks, you will be assigned a role.
You may express preferences, but casting decisions are final. Characters are designed to ensure balance, inclusion and narrative depth.
Discover all the characters!
4. Casting
Special roles
Some characters require specific skills or carry particular narrative responsibilities.
These roles are assigned through a dedicated selection process.
5. Costume and accessories
Preparation and purchases
Depending on your character, you may wear your own costume or acquire one.
Every character of the Italian magical world has a defined style that must be respected.
Modamagò
The enchanted tailor
You can commission or rent your costume, or be inspired by the available models.
If you wish to wear a custom-made costume, Modamagò collaborates directly with the staff to ensure visual and narrative consistency.
6. The Wand
One for everyone
Characters who wield a wand must follow simple rules:
- No existing wands (e.i. Harry Potter's wand).
- Wands must be approved by the staff or acquired at Stranidarius' shop.
- No two identical wands are allowed.
Stranidarius
Wands since 43 a.C.
In Italy witches and wizards have always purchased their wand from Stranidarius. You can choose one of the available models or request a custom-made one.
7. Homework
Enter the magical world
Before the event, you will receive the Vademecum and narrative materials that will guide you into the world of Arcaniversitas.
8. Complete profile
Your character's details
A few weeks before the event, you will receive your complete character profile: background, history, psychology, secrets and relationships.
ON STAGE!
9. Let's go!
See you at the castle
Meet at 2:00 p.m. at the parking lot of La Torre di Gargonza restaurant. Here you will complete the administrative procedures and entrust your luggage to the hotel staff, who will transfer it to the castle.
At this point, you can go to the reception desk and check in.
10. Workshop
A rehearsal
Larp is improvisation, but preparation is essential.
Workshops help align tone, boundaries, and expectations before play begins.
11. Action!
The game begins
Once the staff says the magic word, “Action!”, each participant must act exclusively in the role of their character until the end of the game.
Yes, even at night. Always.
12. Stop!
It's a wrap
On the third day, at 6:00 p.m., the game comes to an end. From that moment on, you can exchange greetings, hugs and shared or unshared gaming moments. And then, once you get home, you may feel a strange mixture of happiness and melancholy. That's normal. It's part of the experience.
Roccantica
The Italian university of magic
After attending the Torrebruma School of Magic and Witchcraft, which is compulsory for all young wizards and witches aged between 11 and 17, some of them may decide to specialize at the Studium Rerum Arcanorum Roccantiquensis, also known simply as Arcaniversitas. An ancient and honored institution, it was the first university in the Old World. Its motto is Ardens Ad Sidera, “Aspire ardently to the stars.”
The Academic Senate
Keepers of knowledge
Led by the Magnificent Rector, the Academic Senate of Roccantica is made up of professors of proven competence, assisted by a staff of excellence chosen from among the best wizards and witches in the country. The rector, professors and school staff live within the walls of Roccantica and are its guardians.
Orders
The true heart of the institute, as the Headmaster likes to say, is undoubtedly its students. Divided into four Orders, each comprising members from different houses in Torrebruma, students attend classes and take exams for a period of time that varies according to their specialization. They know that within the walls of Roccantica they will find the best guidance to discover their place in the Arcanum, the magical world. Find out all the details about the orders.
Personalities of the magical world
Guests and residents
There are many occasions when Arcaniversitas hosts members of the magical community. Sometimes these are professors from other universities - experts or consultants - , sometimes scholars, explorers, journalists, visiting relatives of students, employees of the Ministry of Magic or simply guests of the Rector.
Collescuro, hamlet of Borgotorvo
The village
Every self-respecting castle has a village just outside its walls and Roccantica is no exception. For hundreds of years, the small town of Collescuro, a hamlet of Borgotorvo, has been inhabited by families, merchants and scholars with whom the Arcaniversitas maintains good neighborly relations.
Although in the Magical World, it is whispered that some Borgotorvians have a reputation that is sinister, to say the least.
Discover all characters
Choose your character among the public cast of protagonists of Arcaniversitas and the Black Sphinx. After casting, approximately two weeks before the event, you will receive a complete profile with all the details and information.
The cast will be announced shortly. Follow our channels for updates!
Guidelines and advice for your in-game costume
Clothes may not make the man... but they certainly make the wizard!
To participate in Arcaniversitas, you must have a costume that is appropriate for the tone of the event, well made and as realistic as possible. You can sew it yourself, ask your grandmother or aunt who is a seamstress, buy it wherever you like or purchase it from the tailors of Incantavia, the shopping street of the Italian Arcanum.
Sources of inspiration
Books and movies
Let yourself be inspired by the work of film and television costume designers such as Judianna Makovsky, Lindy Hemming, Jany Temime, and Colleen Atwood, and your costume will be perfect.
The Grand Ball
Well-behaved extravagance
It is traditional in Roccantica to organize a grand dance party to which students, professors, staff, guests and the residents of Borgotorvo are invited. It is a social occasion where elegant attire is customary.
Style and tone are essential
Follow these simple rules:
1. It's not cosplay. While they may be a good source of inspiration, don't copy the costumes from movies sagas and tv series in their entirety, as this will cause your character's traits and nuances to be mistakenly associated with another, much better-known movie character.
2. It's not a historical reenactment costume. Let yourself be inspired and influenced by historical clothing, whether medieval or 19th-century, but don't take them as they are. Make even just one detail your own - a feather, a type of fabric, the cut of a jacket - and try to apply it to a more modern outfit.
3. Find your balance. Before you even speak, impress those in front of you with your stage presence. What does the costume suggest about your character? Does it give the impression of a sociable person? Affable? Funny? Or austere and severe? Try to communicate through shapes and colors. If the character is a dark wizard with a sinister reputation, it is normal to choose equally dark tones, but be careful not to go overboard and become the lord of the vampires! That's another game.
4. The quality of the fabrics and the choice of materials are also important. You don't necessarily have to go for high-end fabrics, but avoid clothes made from lining fabrics, felt, or Lycra: however cheap they may be, whatever style you choose to wear will be mistaken for a cheap carnival costume.
Dress code for students
A uniform for everyone!
Students must have a uniform, everyday clothes and, if they wish, an outfit for the Ball.
Uniform: think how inappropriate it would be to see so many different uniforms. For this reason, students are required to purchase their own white shirt, black non-sporting shoes, and black pants or skirt.
They are also required to purchase a cape, vest and tie from the Arcaniversitas tailor.
Everyday clothes: the everyday clothes of young people in the magical world are inspired by non-wizards’ fashion. However, avoid obvious famous brands, whether in writing or logos.
Dancewear: Follow the general guidelines above and apply them to a social context. If you are a student and do not have the opportunity to wear a special outfit to the dance, you may attend in your Roccantica uniform.
ARCANIVERSITAS
AND THE BLACK SPHINX
13-15 November 2026 - Run #2 (ITALIAN)
20-22 November 2026 - Run #3 (ENGLISH)
Gargonza Castle, Monte San Savino (AR), Tuscany, Italy
TICKETS
Participation requires a contribution of €500.00 to €580.00. You can choose to pay in two ways:
- Balance of €500.00 within three days of registration (save €30.00).
- In three installments* (€170.00 within three days of registration, €180.00 by July 13th, €180.00 by September 13th).
The all-inclusive participation fee includes a three-day, two-night stay with two breakfasts at the Castello di Gargonza hotel, four meals at the Torre di Gargonza restaurant, a photo and video service, insurance, a contribution to the event organization, and exclusive use of the location.
+ €50.00 extra fee for Special Role**.
+ €50.00 extra fee for Supporting Participant***.
* By selecting this payment method, you agree to pay all installments even if you withdraw your membership before the balance is paid.
** The Special Role has a particular responsibility over the game of the other participants (e.g.: professor, mayor of Borgotorvo, head of the family, etc.).
*** The Supporting participant contributes an extra amount to the organization costs of the event by appearing as a Production Backer.
To participate in Arcaniversitas and the Black Sphinx you must be registered with Eryados ETS and be at least sixteen years of age.
Run #2 will be held in Italian, while Run #3 will be held in English. Don’t worry if your English isn’t perfect: participants come from different countries, and everyone speaks English at their own level.
LOGISTICS
Gargonza Castle - Monte San Savino (AR), Tuscany, Italy
Friday 2:00 PM - Meet at the castle (please do not arrive early or late)
Sunday 6:00 PM - Larp conclusion