Spending your holidays in the Roncolo 1888, a beautiful B&B located in Roncolo di Quattro Castella, in the province of Reggio Emilia, you can take part to masked parties, festivals and ancient traditions: the folklore of Emilia Romagna.
Carnevale di Benedello
In the small fraction of Pavullo in Frignano, the Carnevale di Benedello is held, where groups of dancers wear high conical hats and multicolored dresses, and perform a parade through the streets of the town to the sound of music and dances.
Cantar maggio di Riolunato
In the province of Modena, in particular in Riolunato, on the first of May the Cantar Maggio is held. A group of young people accompanied by music sing in a serenade style, the verses of the Bolognese author Giulio Cesare Croce, that announce the arrival of spring. This popular event wants to celebrate, in fact, through music and songs, the return of the good season.
Carnevale di Cento
Carnevale di Cento
Near Ferrara there is one of the most known carnivals in Italy: the carnevale di Cento. Organized by six districts of the city it stands out for the majestic parades of allegorical floats, driven by intricate hydraulic mechanisms, from which puppets and sweets are thrown on the crowd.
The Carnevale is represented by a puppet wrapped in a black coat, who recites in dialect, his own will before dying in front of the fireworks display.
The palio di Ferrara
Visiting Ferrare you can attend its renowned palio. Officialized for the first time in 1279, the Palio di Ferrara consists of an amazing horse race organized among the eight districts of the city to conquer the precious drape dedicated to San Giorgio, patron of Ferrara.
Palio di Ferrara, photo by paliodiferrara
La fogheraccia di Rimini
In Rimini, on March 18th, one of the oldest romagnola festivals is held: the Fogheraccia, also known as Focarina or Focheraccia.
Dedicated to San Giuseppe, but deriving from the ancient bacchanalia, the festival consists in lightning large fires on which to burn, according to recent customs, the remains of pruning, old furniture and other woody materials.
Sagra di Pentecoste in Castel Bolognese
In Castel Bolognese, every year on the occasion of Pentecost, one of the most important events of the territory is organized: the sagra di Pentecoste.
Born in the year 1630, in gratitude of the Madonna della Concezione for sparing the city from the plague, the festival is characterized by the parade of parish carts, which carry around the city the best agricultural and wine production in the city.
Don’t miss the beautiful Tombola, the shows and the musical concerts. Among the numerous stands we can taste many gastronomic specialties from Romagna, accompanied by excellent wine.
The Segavecchia di Forlimpopoli
In Forlimpopoli, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, during the Sunday of the second week of Lent, at the end of a festival that lasts three days, we can attend the ancient spectacle of the Segavecchia.
For the occasion, a horrible puppet is made, which embodies an old lady, symbol of Lenten abstinence, who is saved in two. From the body of the torn open lady, hazelnuts, chestnuts and dried figs, the only sweets provided for the Lent, are thrown towards who is present.
