Carnival of Acireale 2017

The Carnival of Acireale, considered “the most beautiful of Sicily”, is one of the most captivating events of the Sicilian folklore

Throughout the period of the celebration (from 18th to 28th February 2017) masked groups, bands and flowered floats parade along a specific path through the streets of the city centre. Exhibitions and concerts are placed within Acireale, surrounded by the stunning Baroque architecture.

The first documents dating back to 1500 describe the Carnival as a party born from free popular events. Linked to any constraint, in the period of the year when everything is allowed, citizens could enjoy the freedom to joke on the V.I.Ps of the time. It is from this propensity for satire that came to life one of the first masks of the Carnival of Acireale, “the Abbatazzu”.

The papier-mâché masks date back, however, in the early thirties of the ‘900. These relatively small works have been transformed, in the course of time, in larger pieces of work. The papier mache origins probably date back to the first century AD, exactly in China. The long times and the abundant consumption of raw materials required by this kind of work, at that time, made this material more expensive than others. The Italian art of papier mache has its roots in the ‘500, whit the creation of some versions of “poor” of sacred statues.

Even today, centuries later, the Carnival of Acireale sprouts from the renewed enthusiasm of the participating audience: thousands of citizens and tourists who choose to be transported into an alternate reality, made of sounds, colors and flavors that taste of festival.

Here is the complete program of the event.