The tradition of the Carnival in Calabria.

In Calabria, as in the rest of Italy, the Carnival is considered the craziest party.

Carnival parade in Cosenza

It is the time where everything is allowed as it happened during the Greek Dionysian festivals and the Roman saturnals. The preparation for Lent was inserted with Christianity. In fact the word “Carnival” comes from the Latin “Carnem Levare” to remember the large banquet of meat that was held on the Shrove Tuesday (for this reason in Italy called litteraly “Fat Tuesday”) before the Ash Wednesday. 

As always, the sacred lives with the layman!

During this period, in Calabria there are several celebrations and festivals dedicated to the Carnival, with parades of allegorical floats and groups of people wearing costumes and masks along the streets of the towns and small villages.

Carnival parade in Amantea

Among the oldest in the Southern Italy, there is one which takes place in Alessandria del Carretto, a small village in Pollino National Park, which dates back to the ancient Magna Grecia. There are not any parades, but the dressing of the typical masks Polëcënellë Bielle and Polëcënellë Brutte who walk along the alleys of the hamlet.

Carnival in Alessandria del Carretto – Ph by Alfonso Morelli

Instead one of the most important is in Castrovillari, The Carnival of Tradition, among the 10 most beautiful in Italy, according the Italian Touring Club, and recognized by Ministero dei Beni Culturali(Ministry of Cultural Heritage) as Historical Carnival.

We asked Teresa Francesca Magarò to tell us about the Carnival in Castrovillari, because he had the opportunity to live it in person:

Carnival in Castrovillari – Ph by Teresa Francesca Magarò

Carnival in Castrovillari – Ph by Teresa Francesca Magarò

Carnival in Castrovillari – Ph by Teresa Francesca Magarò