Colors, sounds, masks and scents envelop the Marche during Carnival time, transforming historic villages and monumental squares into large open-air stages.
It is suspended in time, in which the festival breaks the everyday and becomes a collective tale, an opportunity to meet and a tool to enhance local identity.
The Marche Carnival combines centuries-old traditions and contemporary creativity, involving large cities and small inland towns in a widespread calendar of events.
Parades, popular rituals, symbolic masks and active participation of communities restore the image of a living region, capable of preserving its history and at the same time reinterpreting it. It is not just a show, but a cultural experience that invites people to discover Marche at a less crowded time of year, when the territory shows itself in its most authentic dimension. A journey that weaves together tradition, social life and gastronomy, a privileged key to getting to know the region, among villages, squares and communities in celebration.
Among the oldest Carnivals in Italy, that of Fano stands out, documented since 1347, a symbol of a tradition that over the centuries has been able to renew itself without losing its identity. Artistically coordinating the event, which enlivens the town for three weekends-the first event was on Feb. 1-is Dante Ferretti, a three-time Academy Award winner for set design. In Offida, Carnival takes on an even more intimate and identifying dimension. Here the celebration is not a simple parade but a collective ritual, punctuated by the spectacular hunt of "lu Bov Fint," a ritual race charged with symbolism and irony.
The carnival atmosphere envelops the entire region. Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli Piceno is transformed into a large outdoor ballroom with the Grand Carnival in the Square, Feb. 12-17. In the Fermo area, Fermo and Porto San Giorgio host "Baraonda," Feb. 1 to 21, a Carnival that follows the traditional calendar and unfolds through large masked parades. In Ancona, the historic parade in the city center draws thousands of participants each year. Macerata enlivens the historic center and the Diaz Gardens with floats, marching bands, entertainment and moments dedicated to children. In the medieval town of Castignano, Piceno, "Li moccule" multicolored lanterns made by local artisans parade through the streets of the town culminating in a grand bonfire.
But Carnival in the Marche is also a journey into taste. Traditional sweets are one of the most recognizable elements of the festival and accompany parades, vigils and street events. Still prepared today according to recipes handed down from generation to generation, they tell a story of conviviality, seasonality and domestic memory. From chiacchiere to scroccafusi, from cicerchiata to castagnole, potato zeppole, arancini and limoncini, from fried chestnut ravioli from the Piceno region to Carnival bombs, each dessert is an expression of a territory and a rural culture deeply rooted.
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