The Carnival in Italy

The origins of the Carnevale are related to the religious culture and in particular to the Easter, which always falls on the first Sunday of Spring, after this festivity we count back 6 weeks, of which 5 of Lent and from there a week before we get the date of the beginning of the Carnevale. Although the link to ancient Christian customs is very strong, we find also traces of the pagan festivals of the ancient Romans, which are still present in the various ways of celebrating the Carnevale.

The main protagonists of the Carnevale have always been the masks, every Italian city is characterized by a mask, representing the domestic traditions, the popular jargon, the spirit and the taste of ancient times, survived over the years precisely because they were able to tell and preserve the aspects more intimate and peculiar than the various Italian cities. We can find for example Brighella, Gioppino and Arlecchino from the northern city of Bergamo, Pantalone and Colombina from Venezia, Pulcinella from Napoli, Gianduja from the Piemonte region, Rugantino from the Lazio region and many others. But the Carnevale l in Italy is not just masks, but also allegorical floats, parades, festivals and rituals, and some of these can really not be missed.

Italy indeed has many Carnevale celebrations, but Venezia, Viareggio, Acireale and Cento hold the biggest and most elaborate festivals. Many other Italian towns hold carnival festivals, some with very unusual events.

The carnival of Cento

44042 Cento, Province of Ferrara, Italy

Carnevale di Venezia

Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia, Italie

The carnival of Acireale

95024 Acireale, Province of Catania, Italy

Viareggio Carnival

55049 Viareggio, Province of Lucca, Italy

The carnival of Fano

61032 Fano, Province of Pesaro and Urbino, Italy

The carnival of Putignano

70017 Putignano, Metropolitan City of Bari, Italy

The Mamoiada carnival

08024 Mamoiada NU, Italy

The Ivrea carnival

10015 Ivrea, Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy

Obviously as for all the festivals and traditions made in Italy, in every region we can find special and secular culinary recipes to celebrate the Carnevale, and in the desserts they reach a particular imagination and transgression, for example:

- the Struffoli from the Campania region

- The Chiacchiere, bugie, cenci, frappe, crostoli, galani,intrigoni, lattughe, sfrappole (different names to indicate the same recipe depending which part of Italy you are in)

- The Orroviolos from Sardinia region

- The Panzerotti with marmalade from Valle d'Aosta region