L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano C a r n e v a l e i s here! It's a time of joy, feasting o n d e l i c i o u s food and enjoy- ing your friends' company, possibly dressed up in fun costumes. The Italian tradi- t i o n o f C a r n e v a l e i s renowned around the world: who isn't familiar with the C a r n e v a l e d i V e n e z i a , that of Viareggio, or that of P u t i g n a n o ? T h e r e i s s o much creativity, tradition, and joy de vivre behind each Carnevale's characterization a n d p e r f o r m a n c e , e v e r y - w h e r e i n t h e c o u n t r y . Because, yes! Each town and village celebrates its own way. There are some places, though, where Carnevale is e v e n m o r e c r e a t i v e a n d peculiar than everywhere else, sometimes because of people's ingenuity, some- times because of local histo- ry and a desire to keep it alive. T h i s i s t h e c a s e , f o r instance of Madonna di Campiglio's Carnevale Asburgico, or Habsburg Carnival. Now, ski bunnies are definitely familiar with this quaint Alpine village of just above 800, beautifully located at 1,553 meters (just a b o u t 5 , 0 0 0 f e e t ) o n t h e B r e n t a D o l o m i t e s , i n t h e province of Trento. Madon- na di Campiglio is home to this special historical reen- a c t m e n t t h a t t a k e s p l a c e every year during the weeks of Carnevale. Inspired by the figure of famous Princess Sissi, who loved the moun- t a i n s a n d M a d o n n a d i Campiglio in particular, the Carnevale Asburgico lasts f o r s e v e n f u l l d a y s a n d includes parades in period c o s t u m e s , t h e E m p e r o r ' s Grand Ball - also in costume, of course - and the sciata imperiale, when skiers in full period gear ski down M a d o n n a d i C a m p i g l i o ' s white slopes. While you are here, you may enjoy some l o c a l g r u b , t o o : t h i n k o f polenta, cheeses, and home- made sausages, as well as pumpkin soups and walnut and apple cakes. Not too far from Trentino, in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, we f i n d t h e C a r n e v a l e d i Sauris. Sauris has recently become the recipient of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s W o r l d T o u r i s m O r g a n i z a t i o n ' s B e s t T o u r i s m V i l l a g e a w a r d , w h i c h m e a n s t h e l o c a l e m a n a g e d t o b r i n g together love for its tradi- tions and heritage, with sus- tainability and technology. Sauris' Carnevale is all about folk dances, traditional char- acters, bonfires, and night- time walks through the vil- lage under the warming light of old-fashioned lanterns. At the heart of all celebrations are the village's maschere, the Rolar, a soot-covered man, dressed in black and with a belt made of rattles, and the Kheirar, a rather grotesque character bearing a wooden mask and carrying a b r o o m , w i t h w h i c h h e swipes away negativity. But t h e C a r n e v a l e d i S a u r i s reaches its climax with the Notte delle Lanterne, the night of lanterns when the village is warmly lit by the traveling lanterns of locals w a l k i n g i t s s t r e e t s a n d alleys. The walk ends in the n e a r b y w o o d s w h e r e t h e community lights a propitia- tory bonfire to bring warmth and positivity to the area. If you are a buona forchetta, and you have a penchant for good cheeses and smoked cold cuts, you'll find certain- l y s o m e t h i n g t o e n j o y a t l u n c h i n S a u r i s , w h i c h i s known for both! Let us move south, to the beautiful - and to many mys- terious - region of Basilica- ta. Home to the mesmeriz- i n g a n d h i s t o r y - f i l l e d M a t e r a , B a s i l i c a t a a l s o b r i n g s t o l i f e t w o q u i r k y Carnevali: the one in Tri- c a r i c o a n d t h e o n e i n Aliano. Tricarico is a vil- l a g e o f 5 , 0 0 0 , w i t h a n Arabo-Norman heritage and one of the best-preserved Medieval town centers in the region. Perched on top of a hill, at 600 meters above sea l e v e l ( 2 , 0 0 0 f t ) , i t s Carnevale revolves entirely around the ancient tradition of seasonal transumanza, the customary migration of s h e e p a n d c o w s f r o m t h e lowlands to the highlands and back, which takes place t w i c e a y e a r . D u r i n g t h e C a r n e v a l e , p a r t i c i p a n t s mimic, with their costumes and movements, the process of transumanza itself, in a parade filled with joy, colors, and sounds. Here, the most important maschere are The Cow and The Bull: the Cow i s d r e s s e d i n w h i t e a n d adorned with plenty of col- orful ribbons and cowbells. The second wears a black a n d r e d c o s t u m e . T h e parade wants to symbolize a n d h o n o r t h e p o w e r o f nature and of the world of animals, revered as a source of livelihood, sustenance, and life. Aliano is known in Italy for its connection with our literature because it was the backdrop of Cristo si è Fer- mato a Eboli, by Turinese writer Carlo Levi. In the book, Levi partly dramatizes the time he spent in Aliano during the years of his exile for having voiced his dislike for the Fascist party. Aliano is also known for its proxim- i t y t o t h e b r e a t h t a k i n g calanchi, a geomorphologi- cal phenomenon caused by the effects of water erosion on degraded sedimentary rocks, known in English as badlands. Aliano's Carnevale i s a l l a b o u t t r a d i t i o n a l horned maschere made with p a p i e r m a c h é , k n o w n a s c u p a c u p a , t h a t w e r e believed, in the olden times, to keep the Devil and nega- t i v i t y a t b a y . P a r t o f t h e parade are also the Pacchi- a n e , w o m e n i n l o c a l c o s - tumes. Food-wise, Aliano and Tricarico offer a wide array of traditional dishes, including baccalà with dried peppers in Tricarico, and frizzue, a homemade type of pasta served with pork ragù and rinds, in Aliano. LUCA SIGNORINI Tricarico: the Carnevale (Photo: illpaxphotomatic/Shutterstock) The quirkiest Carnevali in Italy LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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