What is Carnevale and Where Can You Celebrate It?
No matter how much you may know of the history, the terms “Carnevale” and “Venice” probably evoke vivid images in your head of elaborately costumed people in dazzling, mysterious masks, loitering around the canals and exquisite buildings. Whether that is the kind of scene you would eagerly jump into like a fairytale or pass off as a cheap tourist trap, you cannot deny that there is certainly something unique about Italy’s Carnevale traditions. Let’s dive into what Carnevale actually is, where you can celebrate it, and some Italian terms you should know to go along with it.
The history
Carnevale, or “carnival,” is better known as “Fat Tuesday” or “Mardi Gras” in the U.S., the celebratory final hurrah before the somber and penitential Lenten season observed in the Catholic Church. In Italy, however, the celebrations can last as long as two weeks before Ash Wednesday, the official start to Lent. (Which, by the way, unfortunately falls on February 14th this year).
Italy’s most famous Carnevale, in Venice, supposedly dates to an unrelated celebration in 1162, when the Venetian Republic defeated the Patriarch of Aquileia. In response, the people celebrated in St. Mark’s Square. This turned into a yearly celebration which then came to have its more religious connotation. Its popularity peaked in the Baroque period, but it was later banned by the Austrian Emperor Francis II in 1797. It wasn’t until 1979 that it officially returned, as an effort by the Italian government to preserve Venetian culture.
Where did the masks come from? No one really knows, though it is suspected that they originated in response to Venice’s strict class hierarchy. There were many times a year people could wear masks, not just during Carnevale, and they provided a tempting foray into anonymity and licentiousness. Today, there are a variety of different mask styles you’ll see, including the iconic Plague Doctor mask with the long beak. However, this has only recently been used as a Carnevale mask; when it was invented in the 17th century, it was intended as part of an actual protective outfit for doctors!
The food
Something charmingly unique to Italy is one’s ability to tell the season based on the foods and baked goods found in stores and bars. Fresh, chilled salads in the summertime and long lines stretching out of gelato shops. Roasted chestnuts and regional delights like Florence’s “schiacciata con l’uva” in the fall. The iconic “panettone” and “pandoro” in their red paper boxes for winter.
And then there’s Carnevale treats. In that dead space between the winter holidays and springtime, a period many people dread, Italy pulls through once again with a new, seasonally-specific selection of sweets. The most well-known of these is probably “chiacchiere,” also called “cenci,” strips of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar. “Fritelle” are also quite popular, fried balls of dough sprinkled with sugar. There are also “tortelli dolci,” which can have various fillings, including Nutella, jam, or nuts and honey.
There are also others, some more savory. For example, there is the Neapolitan “lasagne di Carnevale,” stuffed with scamorza, mozzarella, meatballs, eggs, ricotta, and covered in a ragù sauce, though ingredients can differ.
The celebrations
Apart from Venice, where else can you celebrate Carnevale in Italy?
Viareggio, Tuscany has another very large and important celebration. It is possibly best well-known for the impressive and creative papier-mâché floats. Parties, concerts, and cultural events liven up the city for the entire Carnevale season. If you can only make it to Viareggio outside of Carnevale, you can still enjoy the Carnevale Museum there and participate in papier-mâché workshops.
Frascati, Lazio also hosts its own version of Carnevale. It traditionally opens with a handing over of the “keys of the city” to the “King of Carnevale.” There is also music and masked parades, and—new this year—even a competition for the best masked group.
The Carnevale in Ivrea, Piedmont might be best known for its Battle of the Oranges (“Battaglia delle Arancie”) in the last days of the festival. It commemorates a medieval battle sparked by a woman who killed the tyrannical leader. In the reenactment, townspeople fight against the tyrant (represented by costumed soldiers) by throwing oranges at each other. Meanwhile, the courageous miller’s daughter (la Mugnaia) represents hope and freedom. Ivrea boasts having the oldest historical Carnevale in Italy.
Sweets and chocolate are thrown around instead of oranges during the Carnevale of Fano, Le Marche. Similar to Viareggio, giant floats process the streets, along with a character unique to Fano: El Vulón, perhaps the personification of oppressive French decrees in the early 19th century. A papier-mâché version of the character is burned in the main square at the end.
The Carnevale celebrations in Acireale, Sicily date back to the 16th century. Like Ivrea, there was also a tradition of throwing oranges (along with lemons), but this was banned in 1612. Since 1880, papier-mâché floats have been made in celebration. There are also miniature floats and flowered floats, which has earned it the epithet, “The Most Beautiful Carnival in Sicily.”
Finally—though far from the last Carnevale celebration in Italy, there is Putignano, Puglia. This one also has medieval origins and plenty of fun masks and costumes. It is also known as the longest-running one, as festivities technically kick off the day after Christmas. There are plenty of float parades, music, and other events all culminating on Fat Tuesday.
The language
The following are some helpful Italian terms to make the most of your Carnevale celebration:
“Carnevale” – carnival, though the word supposedly comes from “carnem levare,” which is a Latin reference to the abstention of meat during Lent
“Sfilata” – procession/parade
“Maschera” – mask
“Coriandoli” – confetti
“Carro allegorico” – allegorical float
“Caramella” – candy
“Martedì Grasso” – Fat Tuesday
“Quaresima” – Lent
