When we think of carnival, what comes to mind are the samba dances of Rio de Janeiro or the very elegant masks of Venice. But besides these famous celebrations there are others that are less well known, yet just as interesting and steeped in history: the Mountain Carnivals.
For mountain villages, carnival meant the return of the fine season and the first chance to leave the mountain huts after a long, hard winter. In the weeks of carnival the snow is still very much present, but the first warm rays of sunshine arrive to warm up and lengthen the harsh winter days a little. So the village would come together and celebrate with local rites and traditions.
Sappada Carnival
Often referred to as the symbol of the mountain carnival, the one in Sappada (Belluno) is certainly one of the best-known Mountain carnivals.
The festivities lasted for all 3 Sundays before Lent, and on each Sunday people had fun mocking one of the 3 social classes of the time (peasants, gentlefolk and the poor). This was done with masks and costumes that portrayed them in a humorous way. The masks were made of wood and handcrafted by skilled local artisans.
But the Sappada carnival also features another figure, the Rollate, a distinctive wooden mask with a bearskin costume and hat and 2 large sphere-shaped cowbells.
According to tradition, the Rollate chases and frightens (playfully) the children he meets in the streets of the village. Over the years this peculiar character has become the symbol of Sappada.
Carnival in the Aosta Valley
The Aosta Valley, a mountain region, boasts numerous carnival celebrations. We could say that every valley and every village has its own traditions and festivities. What characterises the Aosta Valley Carnivals is the history of each valley: carnival becomes a moment of historical re-enactment in which facts and events that significantly marked history can be brought back to memory. At this time of year fun reigns supreme, with music and dancing warming up the cold mountain nights.
In the Aosta Valley, too, the masks are made of wood and are crafted by skilled local artisans; moreover, here too we find the figure of the Bear, a symbol of the return of spring (awakening from hibernation).
Madonna di Campiglio, a Carnival fit for a King
A different style animates the Carnival of Madonna di Campiglio. No wooden masks and no folk dances, but far more elegant and sumptuous court galas, as in the days of the Habsburgs. In fact, the Austrian royals used to stay in this resort in the Brenta Dolomites: Princess Sissi and Emperor Franz Joseph. Lavish banquets and grand, elegant evenings were organised here.
Today Campiglio remembers the emotions of the past and lets tourists relive them, bringing back to light the ancient splendours still very much present in the centre of this magnificent Trentino ski resort.
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