3550 Carnevale di Offida

[LEFT]The [I]Carnevale Storico della città di Offida[/I] is held religiously every year and offers excitement and passion, merriment and pageantry, entertainment and as much food and drink that anyone could ever wish for. [/LEFT]

This [I]spirito del carnevale[/I] is deeply rooted in the Offidani psyche. To an outsider the festival may seem like the greatest binge of all time, but it actually camouflages what really goes on. Despite the modern standards of carnivals today, for the Offidani (this was once a predominantly agricultural community) this ritual dates back well over 500 years. It is an ancient ritual celebrating man’s constant struggle with nature.

Carnival peculiarities include colourful members of the [I]congreghe [/I](similar to [I]contrade[/I] or q[I]uartieri[/I] in other parts of Italy) parading the streets and plying onlookers with their quirky brand of music,[I] La buffata del Martedi Grasso[/I] where [I]il Sindaco, il Prete, il[/I] [I]Notaio ed il Possidente[/I] (the mayor, the priest, the notary and the land owner) all dress up and stuff themselves full of food in Piazza del Popolo, drinking champagne out of potties, [I]I[/I] [I]Velurd, [/I]a strange, pagan ritual involving setting fire to bamboo canes and finally, [I]Lu Bov Fint (il bue finto[/I]), a comical race which is rather reminiscent of a Spanish corrida[I], [/I]only that instead of a real bull what you get is a man inside a wooden frame with a fabric covering, pretending to be an ox.

Picture the following scene: packed streets as the backdrop and red and white (white for purity and red for sacrifice) costumed clad citizens as part of the scenery. The race begins and the ox is chased all the way across town, accompanied by the high drama of frenzied cries as the “animal” charges with a vengeance, venting its fury at anyone getting in its way. This goes on for hours. By early evening a fine haze of dust envelopes the streets as the crowd regroups in Piazza del Popolo. The mood seems tense. The ox is chased around the piazza one final time before meeting its timely end. Nature (the ox) has returned to dominate the Offidani for another day. But this time the people have won the battle yet again.

The words of one happy local seem to capture the mood…[I]“il bue è finto si, però l’allegria è tanta” [/I](the ox may be artificial but there is much happiness here).

Pic...Palazzo Comunale

Category
Do & See

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 04:20

Did you know that the word carnival is thought to come from the latin term "carnem levare" meaning to abstain from eating meat?
There you go today's piece of useless information and from one who is about to sit down and murder a plate of sausage and bacon (friends have just arrived from the UK)!!!

Add to Joseph's great description of the Carnival of Offida Il Carnevale di Fano, the oldest carnival in Italy which dates back to 1347.
Thought to have started as a celebration to mark the reconciliation of the 2 main families from Fano------The Del Casseros and the Da' Carignanos.

In 1887 the first carnival committee was set up to plan and prepare this annual event.

A colourful and lively parade of floats and costumes which go through the streets of this lovely old coastal town.
The floats have the famous pupo or "vulon" in dialect aboard and are based on popular local figures.

Il "getto" is the name given to throwing of sweets and chocolates from the floats to the waiting vultures down below!!!

A local band set up in 1923 provides the " Musica Arabita" playing on tin cans, pots and pans, washing boards and anything else they can use to make a bit of a din!!

See you in Fano for some February Fun!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 05:23

[QUOTE=Dream Academy]Did you know that the word carnival is thought to come from the latin term "carnem levare" meaning to abstain from eating meat?
There you go today's piece of useless information and from one who is about to sit down and murder a plate of sausage and bacon (friends have just arrived from the UK)!!!....[/QUOTE]

Yup, Carnevale heralded the end to eating meat and the beginning of lent in the middle ages where no meat was allowed to be consumed until Easter. Only fish (salted eel or white fish mostly in Britain). What was eaten in, eg, the Marche in those days?

Enjoy your British brekkie... I will do the same in a bit! ;)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 05:34

The Marche certainly has some interesting traditions (what part of Italy doesn't)...another event certainly worth seeing is the Cavallo del Fuoco in Ripatransone. This takes place at 9pm on the Sunday following Easter. During the day there is a procession then people disappear for the merenda. They all come back just before dark to get ready for the pyrotechnic display involving a wooden horse that is chased up and down the piazza by a huge crowd. The ritual dates back to 1682. The atmosphere is electrifying but you have to experience it to believe it...but you have to keep you head down though:)

Ripatransone is also called the Belvedere Piceno for the magnificent views it offers.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/06/2006 - 05:50

Thanks to Joseph who gave me a lesson in how to post a picture.
First attempt so here goes----fingers crossed.
Sorry if it's on the wrong thread but one thing at a time!!!
It is Gradara castle hopefully. x