Every man lies, but give him a mask and he will be sincere.
– Oscar Wilde It will certainly not be the feast of sincerity, but in some ways it is the feast of the holidays.
This year the Carnival starts on February 20th (Fat Thursday) and ends on February 25th (Fat Tuesday) .
Rich in tradition and history, it has its roots in the Greek Dionysian or in the Roman Saturnalia, and today it takes on always different connotations in each country. What are the most famous carnival parties in Italy ?
Which are the most beautiful carnivals
? Travel365 tells you …
14 – Carnival of Sciacca, Sicily
Photo by EndrexSoft. Historical Carnival in Sicily, among the oldest on the island, is characterized by a surprising production of allegorical floats in terms of number, manufacture and size. From the initial parades of wagons with cattle, over the years there has been a pungent political satire. Between celebrations and parades of floats, from Saturday to Tuesday, the previous Thursday begins with the delivery of the keys to the Carnival King, represented here by Peppe Nappa . On the day that the carnival closes, the mask, which parades through the city distributing sausage and wine, is burned in the square.
SEE ALSO : Sciacca: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- Mask : Peppe Nappa
- Main events : Fire of Peppe Nappa and Carnival Concert
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 60.00 per night – see the offers
13 – Carnival of Ronciglione, Lazio
Source: wikipedia. Considered among the most beautiful carnivals in Lazio , that of Ronciglione, a town in Tuscia, is full of events, parades and traditions. It begins with the Cavalcade of the Hussars , which evoke the defense by these knights of the Papal State; continue with the “Corse dei Barberi”, also known as ” Empty races ” as it is horse racing without jockeys; finally, among the various celebrations, the “Pilatata dei Nasi Rossi” stands out. The Red Nosesthey are masks that represent the devotees to Bacchus, god of wine, irreverent figures who, in the pilatata, praise songs in favor of wine, of the table and of insane life. And to engage the audience, they offer steaming macaroni … inside a chamber pot!
- Mask : Hussars and Red Noses
- Main events : ride of the hussars, races of the barbers, the pilatata
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 30.00 per night – see the offers
12 – Carnival of Tricarico, Basilicata
Photo by Rocco Stasi. Respecting the peasant traditions, the “Transhumance of masks” takes place in Tricarico. Yes, because here the masks have the shape of Bulls and Heifers, all with a cowbell around their neck and guided by the “Vaccaro”. The herd in transhumance crosses the village, the nobles join the procession, and everything ends with the parade of floats, in which the Carnival puppet is burned and “Quaremma” (Lent) mourns his death.
- Mask : Bulls and Heifers
- Main events : transhumance of masks, destruction of the carnival and weeping of Quaremma
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 40.00 per night – see the offers
11 – Carnival of the Coumba Freida, Val d’Aosta
In the San Bernardo Valley the municipalities celebrate the Carnival of the Coumba Freida, literally “of the cold valley”, where the passage of soldiers following Napoleon is commemorated. The masks are the “Landzette”, with uniforms reminiscent of the Napoleonic ones of the 1800s and wooden masks. They also hold a horsehair and a bell in their belt.
- Mask : Landzette
- Main events : traditional Benda parade, where the “Landzette” parade
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 35.00 per night – see the offers
10 – Carnevale di Cento, Emilia Romagna
Photo of Marunzen. Twinned with the most beautiful Carnival in the world , that of Rio de Janeiro, it is characterized by allegorical floats that are hoisted over 20 meters in height! But the real characteristic and tradition of the revenue, which has little or nothing to do with the fiscal one, and which instead consists in the throwing, by the extras who are above the moving wagons, of objects and gadgets such as balls, soft toys, etc.
- Mask : Tasi, a 19th century character from Cento, a lover of good wine
- Main events :
– parade and the procession of wagons with the “revenue
-” Rogo di Tasi “, which after opening the parades dressed in tails and accompanied by a fox, is burned on the last day - Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 40.00 per night – see the offers
9 – Carnival of Fano, Marche
Photo by renato agostini. It is the oldest Carnival in Italy as well as one of the oldest in the “Old Continent”: the first document dates back to no less than 1347.
Here too, as in Cento, the characteristic is the “jet”, a shower of sweets , chocolates and candies that are thrown on the public from the floats.
The entrance to the perimeter of the delimited area for the carnival may be subject to a fee.
- Mask : the baby “Vulon”
- Main events :
– The concert of the “Musica Arabita” band, which plays objects such as tin cans, pitchers, coffee pots, etc .;
– the parade of the Great Masked Courses, with allegorical floats, folkloric groups and musical performances - Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 30.00 per night – see the offers
8 – Carnival of Madonna di Campiglio, Trentino Alto Adige
Magical atmospheres of other times in the Habsburg Carnival , which transforms Madonna di Campiglio from a ski capital to a city of the princely Carnival . More than a nineteenth-century outline, a real dive into the past with the imperial couple formed by Princess Sissi and her consort Francesco Giuseppe who parade with a procession of ladies and knights.
- Mask : Princess Sissi and Francesco Giuseppe
- Main events :
– Inaugural procession with the arrival of the imperial couple;
– Grand Ball of the Emperor at the Hofer hall of the Hotel Des Alpes - Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 70.00 per night – see the offers
- Reservations : [email protected] / +39 0465 447501
7 – Ambrosian Carnival of Milan, Lombardy
Photo of Effems. The Carnival of Sant’Ambrogio has a somewhat original development, in the sense that when all carnivals end … here it begins! In fact, Shrove Tuesday does not mark the end of the carnival here, which is postponed by a week. This is because on one occasion, precisely at the time of Sant’Ambrogio, before starting the Lenten rites, they wanted to wait for the bishop of Milan who was returning from a pilgrimage.
SEE ALSO : 10 Things to see absolutely in Milan
- Mask : Meneghino
- Main events : Procession and party in Piazza Duomo
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 80.00 per night – see the offers
6 – Carnevale di Mamoiada, Sardinia
Photo by Gianni Careddu. A carnival in full Sardinian style that of Mamoiada, with the more than characteristic masks of the Issohadores and Mamuthones. What are these masks characterized for
Well, the Issohadores wear red bodices, white masks, caps and a small shawl, and escort the Mamuthones who wear sheepskin, wooden masks and carry the “sa carriga” on their backs, no popo di less than 30 kg of cowbells !
- Mask : the Mamuthones and the Issohadores
- Main events : The dressing and the procession of the Mamuthones. It seems that these rites date back to the age of the nuraghi and symbolize respect and veneration for animals, and serve to propitiate abundant harvests and drive away malevolent spirits.
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 29.00 per night – see the offers
5 – Carnevale di Acireale, Sicily
Photo of Effems. Probably the most beautiful carnival in Sicily , it is characterized by an apotheosis of colors and music.
The carnival period here is full of gastronomic and musical events, in the exclusive baroque setting of the town.
- Mask : the Abbatazzu
- Main events : parades of allegorical floats and flowered floats; Shrove Tuesday with fireworks and the burning of the Carnival King
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 60.00 per night – see the offers
4 – Carnival of Viareggio, Tuscany
One of the oldest, most famous and spectacular in Italy, the Carnival of Viareggio is characterized by huge allegorical floats and a school of papier-mâché masters made up of over 25 companies more than 1,000 workers! More than floats, they are real theaters on the way .
SEE ALSO : Viareggio: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening
- Mask : Burlamacco
- Main events : the Corso Mascherato parade, with a competition among the most spectacular allegorical floats at the end of which the winner is declared!
- Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 65.00 per night – see the offers
3 – Carnival of Putignano, Puglia
In Putignano we work in the ” Fabbrica dei Giganti di Carta “, with the papier-mâché masters who fight to establish the Putignano school, known all over the world. The Putignano carnival is also considered one of the oldest in Europe !
According to tradition, starting from 17 January, on the occasion of the feast of Sant’Antonio Abate, every Thursday is dedicated to a category of social stratum, between satire and entertainment. It starts with the Thursday of the Monsignors , and then those of the Priests , Nuns , Widows , Pazzi , Wives and, finally, theThursday of the Cuckold . On this last occasion, the rite of cutting the horns is particularly nice .
- Mask : Farinella
- Main events :
– Carnival Thursdays;
– the Macaroni Bell: the rite provides that, in Piazza Plebiscito, a large papier-mâché bell will ring 365 strokes (through an amplification system), to symbolize the end of the celebrations and the beginning of penance. In the hour before midnight, we eat macaroni with tomato and sausage and dance. - Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 60.00 per night – see the offers
2 – Carnevale d’Ivrea, Piedmont
Photo by Baldo Simone. We are in Piedmont, to celebrate an absolutely original Carnival. Here, in fact, the revolt of the people against the tyrant is recalled , a revolt fought … to the sound of oranges! The Battle of the Oranges, in fact, which takes place on Shrove Tuesday, sees the “walking orangers”, who represent the people, chase away the “wrestlers” on horse-drawn chariots which instead represent the Tyrant, who in the Middle Ages claimed the jus prime noctis on the daughter of a miller, who rebels by igniting the revolt.
- Mask : the Tyrant and Violet the miller
- Main events :
– the Battle of the Oranges;
– the Abbruciamento dello Scarlo, a bonfire during which, in the square, a large pole covered with dry heather is set on fire: this symbolizes the expulsion of negativity and the regeneration of the earth in view of good harvests - Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 55.00 per night – see the offers
1 – Carnival of Venice, Veneto
Perhaps the most famous in Italy and among the most famous in the world, with very ancient origins, the setting of the events already justifies its position and value. The most beautiful city in Italy gives rise to boat parades among the romantic canals, masks that animate Piazza San Marco, music and concerts in every corner of the city, in every alley, in every heart that populates the city in those days.
SEE ALSO : Venice Carnival – Dates and Official Program
- Mask : the Bauta
- Main events :
– the Festa delle Marie, a procession that recalls the tradition according to which the Doge of the Serenissima used to pay homage to twelve humble and beautiful girls of Venice;
– the Flight of the Angel from the Campanile of San Marco and the Flight of the Donkey from the Tower of Mestre;
– the Svolo del Leon, which concludes the holidays of Fat Tuesday, with the tribute to the Winged Lion of San Marco, symbol of Venice. - Where to sleep: hotels and b & b from € 90.00 per night – see the offers
