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I Love Italian Travel - Basilicata Carnevale Season
Basilicata is part of southern Italy. It has a tiny coastline
on the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and a somewhat larger one
on the Gulf of Taranto to the south. Basilicata is one of
the least prosperous, most traditional regions of Italy.
This gives you all the more reason to visit, especially
during Carnevale.

The major Basilicata Carnevale is located in the town of
Tricarico, population 6 thousand. This festival is
traditional. Children and adults parade in costume, cow and
bull outfits are always popular. Carnevale begins on
Sant'Antonio Abate day named for an Egyptian abbot who is
widely honored in southern Italy. Starting at 5 o'clock
masked participants rally in Piazza Garibaldi before
proceeding to the Sant'Antonio Abate church. By the way,
we're talking about 5 in the morning, not 5 in the
afternoon. This day is fully packed with activities for
people of all ages. There is even a midnight celebration
that I am told goes until the wee hours of the morning.

Then things are quiet for a few weeks, interrupted by an
olive festival with tasty food and later on the Festival of
"skrpedd and r'a sauzezz" (festival of the pancake and
sausage) in the old town accompanied by local wine and
music. Basilicata's finest wine is Aglianico de Vulture DOC,
but you may enjoy many of the lesser-known local wines.

The Tricarico Carnevale continues on the following Sunday,
starting at 9 in the morning. Once again the focus is on the
herd. You'll be busy all day. After the parade of allegorical
floats there's a trial and Carnevale is sentenced and killed.
The evening ends with a folk music concert and fireworks.
Basilicata is home to many other Carnevales. The village of
Rapone, population 1200, celebrates with traditional singing
and dancing. Spectators offer sausage and wine to the
performers. On Shrove Tuesday everyone eats homemade pasta
(orecchiette, fusilli, and cavatelli) flavored with a
special sauce. The village of Cirigliano, population 450,
Carnevale's highlight is the final Sunday. Twelve
traditionally dressed people represent the months of the
year. Their clothing and the objects they hold evoke the
months' climatic conditions. Four other young men typify the
seasons. On the final Carnevale Sunday the village of Aliano,
population 1300, hosts the Frase, a play freely commenting on
local events and personalities of the preceding year. The
young actors wear bells, animal harnesses, and a "horn mask"
made from papier mache, clay, and rooster feathers to
symbolize diabolical forces. And don't miss the traditional
activity in which local men festooned in papier mache masks,
hats covered with streamers, wearing long underwear and cow
bells, parade down the village main street, throw flour at
the crowds and grunt all the while.

About the Author:

Once upon a time Levi Reiss wrote or co-authored ten computer
and Internet books. And yet, he really prefers drinking fine
Italian or other wine, with the right food and friends. He
teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community
college. Visit his website http://www.wineinyourdiet.com
which focuses on wine, weight loss, health, and nutrition
issues.