I Love Touring Italy - Carnival Season 2014 In Trentino-Alto Adige
The bilingual (Italian and German) region of Trentino-Alto Adige is located on the border of Switzerland and Austria in northeast Italy. Given its heavily Germanic character don't be surprised that Carnevale here is fairly unique.
The village of Valfloriana population about 500 is located some 15 miles (25 kilometers) northeast of Trento. Its Matoci Carnival is named for comical characters dressed in colorful outfits, festooned with bright ribbons and traditional wooden masks that cover their faces, known as "facere". One of the most spectacular events during the carnival period is the "Descent of the Matoci", a tradition here and in the surrounding villages. A masked procession leaves the villages to meet at a village square. This descent symbolizes the return to normal life after a difficult winter that was spent in isolation. There's music, dancing, and sweets and a masked ball at night.
The village of Campitello di Fassa, population about 750, is located some 40 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Trento as the crow flies, add about 40% if the crow has to take a car. Its Carnevale respects the inhabitants' Ladin origins. Ladin is a language which must not be confused with Latin or with Ladino. A fine way for outsiders to catch a glimpse of this culture is to attend this Carnevale or similar ones in nearby villages such as Penia. You'll love the parade of "Bufon, Marascons and Lache". "Bufon" sports a cone shaped headpiece and long-nosed mask, recites the vices and virtues of the local populace. You will enjoy this spectacle, even if you don't know a word of the language.
The upscale winter resort of Madonna di Campiglio, home to about a thousand people, some 55 miles (90 kilometers) southwest of Bolzano, used to host the likes of Emperor Franz Joseph and his hangers-on. If you want a taste of that rarified atmosphere don't miss its Hapsburg Carnival. If and when you want to change the air there is great skiing and trekking.
Would you believe a carnival that is centered on a tree? Such is the case for the Grauno Carnivale held in a Val di Cembra village of under 700 some twenty miles (thirty kilometers) to the north of Trento. The show reflects pre-Christian classical rites of atonement and fertilization. In the early morning of Mardi Gras the young villagers cut down the most beautiful tree in the forest, remove its branches drag it to the "Busa del Carnival" (a burrow set on high ground), and set it on fire. And wherever you go and whatever you do, check out the fine local wines.
About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers Italian travel and drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and people. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com which includes an expanded version of this article and lots more.
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