San Giovanni in Persiceto hides a timeless ancient tradition: the Persiceto Historical Carnival.
With a fierce competition in which more than ten companies unleash their utmost creativity, the carnival is able to attract local artists and offer them a great opportunity for expression, also thanks to contemporary art forms such as street art and sculpture.
What makes the Persiceto Historical Carnival truly unique is the Spillo, a performance ritual that takes place on the first Sundays of February in the evocative Piazza del Popolo during the parade of allegorical floats in front of the Town Hall.
It is here that the scenic artefacts undergo surprising transformations, thanks to complex narrative mechanisms and the construction skills of carnival workers. Click here to see a preview.
The mask of the irreverent King Bertoldo opens the celebrations while a jury of three experts assesses the originality and execution of the floats.
There is no prize money: participants compete only for glory, with the honour of taking home the Banner of King Bertoldo and the prestige of seeing their names immortalised on the back of the banner, along with those of all the winning companies in the history of Carnival.
Curiosity
A large painting of King Bertoldo and his son Bertoldino, by Corrado Manzi, is displayed in the atrium of the Municipal Library in Palazzo SS. Salvatore. Every year during Carnival, it is placed under the arches of the Town Hall to celebrate this popular festival.
Created between 2003 and 2004 next to the pavement along Via Marconi, this extraordinary work of art is a true promenade through a sculptural group of 17 elements composed of fairy-tale beings, humans, animals and natural elements that populate the numerous columns arranged in a row.
The author, Persicetan sculptor Marcello Magoni, also contributed as a designer to the creation of the historic Carnival floats.
Gino Pellegrini, the author of the murals in this square and an internationally renowned stage designer, was himself involved as a member of the Carnival jury.
Here we can admire his most famous contribution to the town that hosted him, Piazzetta Betlemme or Piazzetta degli Inganni, so called because of the gigantic trompe-l'oeil paintings inspired by country life and depicting enormous vegetables and farmyard animals.
Curiosity
In 2016, the Ocagiuliva Carnival Society dedicated a carnival float to Gino Pellegrini. To see it, click here.
Placed to decorate a giant grain silo, nature-themed motifs depicting ears of corn, vines and leaves were chosen for this mural by Master Pellegrini and his decoration students.
The inauguration of the façade took place in 1985 with a pictorial and musical performance involving the students themselves.
Travel tip
By taking Line 1 of the Persicetana Cultural Metro, you can admire installations and sculptures from former carnival floats. QR codes allow you to access the corresponding stops on the route and learn more about their history.
