This article was produced by National Geographic Traveler (UK).
Every year, around three million people come together to attend the Carnival in Venice. During the festivities in the City of Water, locals and visitors alike don old-fashioned dresses and elaborate masks to attend chandelier-lit balls or simply stroll the crazy streets. But there are more than seventy local, lesser-known carnival celebrations in Italy, each with their own quirks. Some revolve around food, others celebrate whimsical humor and many feature allegorical floats: colorful, sky-high monuments of papier-mâché, the result of centuries-old craft traditions.
This event in Ivrea, at the foot of the Alps, is marked by the Battle of the Oranges, Italy’s largest food fight, scheduled for three afternoons around Shrove Tuesday. Thousands of townspeople divide into teams and fight to the last fruit, a tradition that, according to legend, mimics a 13th-century uprising against a local tyrant. The ‘weapons’ are supplied and visitors can purchase a ticket in advance to participate. The celebration ends with the usual parting line: ‘Arvedse a giobia a ‘n bot‘, meaning ‘we’ll meet on Thursday’ – referring to the Thursday on which Easter festivities begin again the following year.
This carnival is held in the northern city of Cento and is the only carnival in Europe that is officially ‘twinned’ with the world-famous carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian samba dancers take part in the festivities, which last five Sundays around February and include pageants, performances by Italian celebrities and a bonfire. Five associations compete for the prize of best float and the winners organize a friendly ‘funeral’ in the days after the award ceremony: a procession complete with coffins and black veils, where they can tease the other teams. The losers go all out and decide to get it right next year.
The Carnival celebrations in this coastal Tuscan city are second only to those in Venice. About 100,000 spectators gather for each of the six parades between January and February, gasping for floats that can be as tall as 100 feet. As in the rest of the country, the floats change annually and are often allegorical; for example, you might see a giant mammoth that refers to melting glaciers, or harpies that represent temptations. After the procession, head to the Carnival Citadel, which is open all year round. Highlights include a museum that traces the timeline of celebrations and hangars in which craftsmen build floats (sometimes leaving the doors open to let visitors peek inside).
Not only is this one of Italy’s oldest carnival celebrations, dating back to at least 1347, it’s also the sweetest. It takes place in Fano, a seaside resort in the center of the country, over three consecutive Sundays between February and March, and every day we see floats parade down the same street three times. The first round presents the creations of the year. The second has a traditional, characteristic character go to — ‘throwing’ chocolate and sweet treats to the public. For the final stage of the event, called luminaria (‘illumination’), the march lights up at sunset with a suggestive effect.
According to tradition, this Apulian celebration began in 1394 when the local population, due to the threat of invasion, moved the relics of Saint Stephen from the coast to Putignano, a town in the safer hinterland. When the march began, on December 26, farmers left their fields and joined the procession. Today the date still marks the start of Carnevale di Putignano, which runs until the end of February, making it Italy’s longest carnival. The main events – masked processions and floats – take place on Thursday, but themed exhibitions, papier-mâché workshops and shows are programmed throughout the festive period.
Despite being one of the oldest and most beloved events in Sardinian folklore, Carnival in Mamoiada, in the island’s interior, remained little known to outsiders until the last century. Instead of scenic floats and loud parades, the season here is marked by the arrival of stern Mamuthones, men dressed in black masks and dark furs, and authoritative Issohadores, who wear white masks and red vests. The origins of the costumes have been lost to time, but they are now a symbol of the region: see them parade on January 17, on the feast day of Saint Anthony; Shrove Tuesday; and Easter Sunday.
Published in the October 2024 issue National Geographic Traveler (UK).
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