Carnevale in Italy, known in the US as carnival or carnival , takes place in the weeks leading up to Easter. Think of Carnevale in Italy as a final grand feast before Ash Wednesday, the restrictions of Lent, and the most pious celebrations at Easter.
Italy celebrates Carnevale with a huge winter festival punctuated by parades, costume balls, entertainment, music, and parties. Kids throw confetti at each other and sometimes raw flour and eggs! Mischief and jokes are common during Carnevale in Italy, hence the saying “a Carnevale ogni scherzo vale ” (anything goes at Carnevale).
History of Carnevale in Italy
Carnevale has roots in pagan festivals and traditions and, as is often the case with traditional festivals, it was adapted to suit Catholic rituals. Although Carnevale is actually a date, in Venice and other parts of Italy the celebrations and parties can start a couple of weeks before.
The masks, maschere , are an important part of the Carnevale festival and are sold throughout the year in many shops in Venice, from cheap versions to elaborate and expensive. People also wear elaborate costumes for the festival and there are masquerade or fancy dress balls, both private and public.
Italy has many Carnevale celebrations, but Venice, Viareggio, and Cento host the largest and most elaborate festivals. Many other Italian cities hold Carnevale festivals, some with very unusual events.
Carnevale Dates
In 2019, Carnevale will be on March 5. Check out this article for future Carnevale dates in Italy.
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Venice Carnival
The Carnevale season in Venice begins approximately two weeks before the actual Carnevale date. Events and entertainment take place every night in Venice, with costumed people roaming the city and enjoying themselves. Learn more at Tips for going to Venice Carnevale.
Most high-end hotels have masked balls during Carnevale and can provide costume rentals for visitors. Tickets can be expensive for these balls, and most require reservations.
The main Carnevale events in Venice are centered around Piazza San Marco, but events take place in every sestiere or neighborhood of Venice. There are gondola and boat parades along the Grand Canal, a mask parade in Piazza San Marco, and a special Carnevale for Children event in the Cannaregio district. A fireworks display in Piazza San Marco, which can be seen throughout Venice, marks the climax of the events.
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Viareggio Carnival
Viareggio on the Tuscany coast has one of the largest Carnevale celebrations in Italy. It is known for its gigantic maiche paper allegorical floats used in parades, not only on Shrove Tuesday but also the three Sundays before and the two weekends after. The floats are often satirical and reflect current events and politics in Italy and elsewhere.
The final parade is held on Saturday night and is followed by a huge fireworks display.
Festivals, cultural events, concerts and masked balls take place during the Carnevale season, both in and around Viareggio, and the restaurants have special Carnevale menus.
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Ivrea Carnival Orange Battle
The city of Ivrea, in the Piedmont region, has a unique carnival celebration with medieval roots. The carnival includes a colorful parade followed by orange toss battles in the city center.
The origins of the Orange Battle are murky, but local folklore cites the story of a young peasant girl named Violetta, who rejected the advances of a ruling tyrant in the 12th or 13th century. She beheaded him and chaos ensued, with other villagers eventually burning down the castle where he lived.
During the current reenactment, a girl is chosen to play the role of Violetta, and dozens of aranceri (orange throwers) representing both the tyrant and the peasants throw oranges at each other. The oranges are meant to represent stones and other ancient weapons.
There is a huge parade about a month before Carnevale officially begins. There are orange battles from the Sunday before to Carnevale Tuesday. The culminating event is the burning of the scarli (large poles, erected in the center of the square of each district, covered with dry bushes) to end the carnival season.
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Carnevale traditions in Sardinia
The island of Sardinia is steeped in tradition and that is especially true in the villages of Barbagia on the outskirts of Nuoro. The tradition is strongly reflected in its unique Carnevale festivals, influenced by ancient cults and rites.
In the west coast town of Oristano, Carnevale is celebrated with a costume parade, horse races and a reenactment of a medieval jousting tournament at a festival called La Sartigilia.
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Carnival in Acireale, Sicily
Acireale has one of the most beautiful Carnevale celebrations in Sicily. Allegorical floats of flowers and papier-mâché, similar to those made in Acireale since 1601, parade through the baroque city center. There are several parades during the Carnevale, as well as music, a chess tournament, children’s events, and a fireworks finale.
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Pont St. Martin Roman Carnival
Pont St. Martin in the Val d’Aosta region of northwestern Italy celebrates Carnevale in Roman style with people dressed in nymphs and robes. Sometimes there is even a chariot race. On Shrove Tuesday, the festivities culminate with the hanging and burning of an effigy of the devil on the 2,000-year-old bridge.
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Brazilian Carnival in Cento
Cento, in the Emilia-Romagna region, is linked to the most famous Carnivale celebration in the world, that of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The floats are of very high quality and often include items from Brazil. The winning float in the Cento parade is brought to Brazil for its Carnival festivities.
Participants arrive from all over Italy to march in the parade or ride their motorcycles and some 30,000 pounds of candy are thrown at spectators along the parade route.
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Verona Carnival
Not far from Venice, Verona has one of the oldest Carnevale celebrations in Italy, dating back to 1615. On Shrove Tuesday, Verona has a grand parade with more than 500 floats.
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Snow Carnevale in the Alps
The Alpine resort town of Livigno, near the Swiss border, celebrates Carnevale with a procession of alpine skiers, followed by an obstacle course, a costume ball, and a traditional parade through the streets.
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Albanian Carnival in Calabria
In southern Italy’s Calabria region, which has Albanian settlements, Lungro holds a Carnevale parade with people dressed in traditional Albanian costumes.
The Carnevale de Pollino in Castrovillari includes women dressed in intricate local costumes and celebrates the region’s Pollino wine, Lacrima di Castrovillari . In the north of Calabria, Montalto Uffugo holds an interesting wedding parade of men dressed as women. They distribute sweets and flavors of Pollino wine. After the parade, the kings and queens arrive for a night of dancing in costumes that include giant heads.
