'A Màschkarata (San Mauro Carnival)

A rural carnival born from peasant memory

In San Mauro Cilento, a small hillside town in the province of Salerno perched at an altitude of about 560 meters in the heart of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, the carnival has nothing to do with allegorical floats. It is 'A Màschkarata, a traveling theatrical performance that takes place among the stone houses of the village and has been passed down by the community from generation to generation. In the local dialect, the festival is called masckaràta and those who wear the mask are the màsckaro: the vocabulary alone reveals how deeply rooted this tradition is in the identity of the town and, more broadly, of inland Campania.

Not a parade, but a popular commedia dell'arte

The San Mauro carnival consists of a series of scenes that intertwine along the route, following a script that is unwritten but fixed by tradition. The characters belong to a popular, stylized version of the commedia dell'arte: Prucinella, the Cilento-style Pulcinella, jealous and protective, who accompanies his daughters—the Zite to be married—along with the Turk, the Volante, the Devil, the Bishop, the Priest, the Doctor, the Barber, the Notary, the Cardalàna, Death, and the allegorical figures of Carnival and Lent. Standing out among them is the Double Person, a mannequin mounted on the back of an actor who walks hunched over: a woman carrying a man on her shoulders, a powerful image of the female role as the backbone of rural society in times past.

The sound of the tófa, the conch shell once used by farmers as a call, announces the beginning of the rite. From that moment on, spectators are no longer mere observers: in the famous hunter's game, a simple tap on the shoulder is enough to be targeted, and those who turn around are covered in bran amidst the laughter of the entire village.

The burning of the Cannuluvàro

The highlight of the day is the burning of the Cannuluvàro, the character who personifies the dietary excess of the carnival: having died from eating too many meatballs, he is carried in a procession on a ladder by four masked figures dressed in black and finally set on fire. It is the symbolic gesture that closes the time of disorder and opens Lent, a rite of passage common to many rural carnivals in Cilento—where the puppet is also known as Carnuluvàro—but which retains a rare dramatic power here.

The route: between Casal Sottano and Casal Soprano

The maschkarate depart in the early afternoon from the two historic districts, Casal Sottano and Casal Soprano, and move toward each other along the village streets; on the second day, the route is reversed. The procession passes through alleys, squares, and courtyards, stopping in front of houses to perform the scenes: the entire village becomes a stage, with residents participating just as much as the actors.

A recognized heritage

• Since 2023, 'A Màschkarata has been inscribed in the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Campania Region.
• In 2022, it was selected by the Ministry of Culture for a project dedicated to intangible ties in festive landscapes.
• The performance actions were documented by photographer Barbara Di Maio and exhibited at the Museo di Roma in Trastevere, representing the Campania Region.
• The Faculty of Architecture of the University of Naples Federico II has studied the San Mauro carnival alongside other historical festivals to build scientific documentation, with a view toward a possible UNESCO candidacy.

All initiatives related to the festival are coordinated by a local popular committee, now gathered in the 'A Maschkarata Carnevale Sanmaurese association, which operates at its own expense: a grassroots commitment that explains the quality of the costumes and the preservation of the tradition.

The Living Museum of the Carnival

The tradition does not live only during the festival days. In the Ratto district, in the historic center of San Mauro Cilento, an ancient 17th-century olive mill houses the Living Museum of the Carnival: handmade stage costumes, masks of the popular commedia dell'arte, reconstructions of the scenes, music, and materials that tell the story of the deep bond between the community and its festival. Visits are by appointment and are the best way to understand 'A Màschkarata even outside the carnival period.

Flavors and conviviality

Like every peasant carnival, the Màschkarata also ends at the table: sausage, bread and potato meatballs—a signature humble dish of San Mauro Cilento—and fried chiacchiere accompany the convivial moment that follows the procession, often enlivened by live music. Surrounding this is a territory that is a recognized home of the Mediterranean Diet and produces high-quality extra virgin olive oil, waiting to be discovered at local farms.

Why it's worth the trip

Those looking for the spectacular carnival of large parades will not find it here. 'A Màschkarata is something else: popular theater, satire, peasant memory, and collective participation in a village of a few hundred inhabitants. For an Italian or international visitor, it is one of the most authentic opportunities that Campania offers to understand how festivals were celebrated in Cilento villages before the carnival became an industry.