Anthropological Carnival of Rionero in Vulture

A Carnival with Ancient Roots

The Anthropological Carnival of Rionero in Vulture is much more than a masked festival: it is a collective ritual that tells the deep soul of this village in the province of Potenza. Among the most representative of the anthropological carnivals of Basilicata circuit, it revives every year an archaic tradition made of symbols, sounds, and disguises that refer to the rural world and the boundary between the sacred and the profane.

Turdei, the Symbolic Mask

The absolute protagonist is Turdei, the mask created between the late 19th and early 20th centuries and inspired by the figure of Michelarcangelo Curto (1858-1944). In the Rionero dialect, the term indicates a simple and corpulent person, but the costume is striking: animal skins, horns, bells, an agricultural fork, and a skull, symbols that evoke the peasant imagination, the relationship with death, and the subversion of the daily order. According to tradition, during Carnival, Turdei descended from Mount Vulture, crossing alleys and streets, evoking both fear and amusement.

From January 17th to the Grand Finale

The Carnival of Rionero has its own rhythm: it opens on January 17th, the feast day of Saint Anthony Abbot, a date that traditionally marks the beginning of the carnival period for the community. From then on, every Saturday, the town is filled with parades, masks, and entertainment, in a crescendo leading to the final day in mid-February, with the triumphant return of Turdei and the great Festival of Colors.

Living Identity

Promoted by the Municipality of Rionero in Vulture and local associations, the Anthropological Carnival is an identity heritage that continues to renew itself, capable of engaging citizens and visitors. For those who want to discover the most authentic and ancestral Basilicata, it is a winter event of rare intensity.