For Carnival, every trick is a good one!

Carnival celebrations have their origins in ancient festivals, such as the Greek Dionysia or the Roman Saturnalia, with their temporary suspension of social obligations, hierarchies and orders, as well as their witty tricks and at times total debauchery.

Over time, the excess of these festivities has been toned down, but their playful spirit,  costumes, satire and jokes have survived, as have the dances and parades of allegorical floats.  Emilia Romagna is no exception; the squares and streets of towns will be enlivened by this celebration.  And all of this will be accompanied by fried sweets.

The Carnival celebration in Cento (FE), on schedule for Sunday February 5, 12, 19, 26 and March 4, is surely the most famous in Italy with its five hundred participants; it is a whirlwind of colors, masks and events in the historic downtown of this city.  However, also the Carnival celebration in Busseto (PR) is quite well known with its gigantic floats, the most spirited marching bands in Italy, and the crazy masked Bullfight (February 5, 12, 19 and 26).  

But there are also less well known festivals, absolutely worth a visit, such as the historic carnival in S. Giovanni in Persiceto (BO). Now in its 138th edition, this celebration offers a unique show: the "spillo" (al spéll, in Bologna dialect), or the "transformation" of the allegorical floats which, thanks to hidden mechanisms, completely change shape and color to reveal their hidden meaning, quite often poignant and satirical (February 19 and 26).

Or the carnival in Castelnuovo di Sotto, the most important event in the province of Reggio Emilia, which has its roots in peasant tradition. The spirit of this festival has always been expressed best by carnival pranks such as the shows and masquerades symbolized by "Castlein", with his hat down over his ears, his farming boots, and his "armpit high" socks (February 19 and 26, March 4).

 
And there is also the Carnival Venitien, in the medieval town of Castell’Arquato, near Piacenza, where everyone gets all dressed up for the occasion, on February 25, for a venetian style masquerade.   

And then there is the carnival on the waters of Comacchio, near Ferrara, on February 19 and 26, and the Carnival in Ravenna, which is always full of events for the whole family, with a month long program.

So, there is something for everyone.  And as this festival is celebrated in many towns and cities, we invite you not to miss the best events in the region.