The origins of the Castrovillari Carnival date back to 1635, when the theatrical farce of Organtino was performed in front of the city's university building as part of the carnival rites.
The first event conceived by the Castrovillari Pro Loco dates back to 1959, when, thanks to the intuition of Prof. Vittorio Vigiano, the association's founder, the first edition of the Pollino Carnival and International Folklore Festival was organised. Over the years, the Pro Loco has developed, expanded and improved the event, giving the people back the role of the true protagonist, who went from being 'passive spectators' back to being 'main actors'. Recognised as the Carnival of Calabria, thanks to the grandeur of the event and its 60 uninterrupted editions, considered since the 1990s as one of the 10 most important carnivals in Italy, the Castrovillari Carnival is, to date, one of the most interesting traditional Italian carnival events. In confirmation of this, the most important event in the town of Castrovillari was included in 2017 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the list of historic Italian Carnivals. These are great achievements that reward not only the Pro Loco del Pollino but also the entire town, as sixty years of Carnival represent for each and every Castrovillarese a wealth of experiences and intense emotions that encapsulate a part of personal history and that of the entire town located at the foot of the Pollino.
The intuition was to combine masks and folklore, a winning combination determined by the enormous popular participation that still characterises it today. A show that is masterfully integrated with folklore and that has seen the participation in the event of groups from all over Italy and the world. To broaden the offer, the Pro loco organises, within the programme, multiple cultural, artistic and sports activities. In addition to the masked groups' competition, which since 1989 has put the groups' imagination and creativity in 'competition', there are other events aimed at raising the cultural level of the Carnival itself. Among the best known are the Carnival Prize awarded to Calabrian personalities from the world of culture and work who have distinguished themselves for their skills, professionalism and achievements; the Focus through cultural insights into a nation or a specific geographical area, chosen each year by the organisers, is expressed through a series of events, shows, seminars, exhibitions, cineforums, food and wine reviews, organised by the Pro Loco del Pollino scientific council; the Seminar of StudiesDemoethnoanthropologicalan event that has been linked, over time, to the School Competition with the aim of both delving into Carnival themes, with the help of teachers who are experts in cultural anthropology, history of popular traditions and ethno-history, and of awarding prizes to students who distinguish themselves with an original composition after participating in a lectio-magistralis.
The sixty-first edition will take place over 10 intense days, from Sunday 24 February to Tuesday 5 March 2019, and is structured as follows: the coronation of King Carnival (Maundy Thursday), which officially kicks off the event, followed by an event that has now become a feather in the organisers' cap: ''a Sirinata dà Savuzziza'. Retracing Castrovillaresi traditions when 'the people' disguised themselves as 'men of culture' (mayor, doctor, lawyer....) and with musical instruments of the time, they 'knocked' on the doors of the 'scholars', staging music and songs in exchange for wine and sausage. Today, the 'sirinata' is organised in spontaneous themed groups that, along a pre-established route through the town centre, symbolically knock on the doors of the 'vasci' (commonly called 'vasci' because they represented the places where food was stored), performing jokes, music and dancing in exchange for wine and food. Fun is guaranteed for a public unceasingly involved in moments of hilarity and carnival spirit on an evening when, of course, wine and sausage (as well as various Castrovillaresi specialities) are offered free of charge. The heart of the Castrovillari Carnival are the two parades of masked groups and floats, scheduled for Sunday 3 and Tuesday 5 March 2019.
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