Let me talk to you a bit about Carnival in Rome: traditions and actuality. From dates to food, to masks!
As soon as Christmas euphoria is over, the streets of Rome become colorful Macchiaioli style canvases. When Coriandoli (confetti) and Stelle Filanti (streamers) are everywhere, it means a group of pirates, robots, wonder women, and princesses has passed by, and Carnival in Rome has begun.
WHEN IS CARNIVAL IN ROME
Each year, when I see the first traces of Carnival fun, I check the web: the dates change yearly. The official starting day is Giovedì Grasso (Fat Thursday). The ending is Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday): the last Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
But you see the first Coriandoli since the last weeks of January. I guess moms need to focus their children’s energies on something else as soon as Christmas is over. So, early February, and you can stumble in knights, clowns, fairies, and Harlequins. Plus, I must admit, we start eating Carnival treats as soon as they appear in the bakeries’ windows, more or less when the children begin to scatter the paper discs.
This is only a fragment. The full piece lives inside Accademia Sub Rosa.
A quieter space.
A deeper Italy.
A slower way of seeing
Not for everyone.