Apice Carnival

The Apice Carnival, the most colorful festival in the Sannio

In Apice, a town of just over five thousand inhabitants overlooking the Calore valley in the province of Benevento, the carnival is not just a single parade but a widespread celebration that spans several Sundays and multiple squares. The Apice Carnival is organized by the Pro Loco Apice in collaboration with the Municipality of Apice and has become one of the most popular winter events in this corner of Campania: allegorical floats built in the preceding months, masked groups, showers of confetti, music, and games for the little ones.

A widespread carnival, square by square

The proven format features four distinct moments, each with its own identity and location. It begins at the Villa Comunale Luigi Bocchino with the official opening of the festival, continues at Piazzale Sant'Antonio with the Scoriandolata, reaches its most anticipated moment in Piazza Padre Pio with the gathering and parade of allegorical floats, and concludes at Parco Giovanni XXIII with a masked walk dedicated to children. In recent editions, the float procession has traveled the axis connecting Piazza Padre Pio to Piazza della Ricostruzione, the civic heart of the new town, where the town hall is also located.

The floats: creativity, craftsmanship, and recycled materials

The distinctive feature of the Apice Carnival is that the floats and puppets do not come from outside: they are born in Apice, built by associations, neighborhoods, parish groups, and volunteers. In recent editions, construction has favored recycled and eco-friendly materials, turning weeks of work into a small collective lesson in sustainability. The result is a self-produced, ironic, and recognizable procession, where artisanal quality matters more than size.

• Allegorical floats and masked groups created by local associations
• Scoriandolata, the great confetti battle that kicks off the most festive part of the program
• Masked walk through the streets of the town center, with games in the squares
• Awards ceremony for the most creative costumes in editions where it is scheduled
• Music and entertainment along the entire route

A community tradition

A broad network revolves around the Pro Loco: the Municipality, parishes, the oratory, and neighborhood committees. In the 2025 edition, the opening moment, titled AnnunciAMO il Carnevale Apicese, was curated by the Santa Maria Assunta e San Bartolomeo Parish with the Anspi San Bartolomeo Oratory, and the puppets created for the occasion remained on display in the parish field throughout the carnival period. It is this participatory dimension, more than the spectacle itself, that explains the following the event has in the town and neighboring Sannio municipalities.

Apice, the Castello dell'Ettore and the ghost village

Visitors arriving for the carnival will find a town with a unique history. Above the town stands the Castello dell'Ettore, a medieval fortress built when Apice belonged to the county of Ariano, featuring the typical shell-shaped layout of fortified villages. At its feet lies Apice Vecchia, the historic center abandoned after the earthquakes of 1962 and 1980: one of the most evocative ghost towns in Southern Italy, now the subject of restoration projects, featuring medieval churches and 18th-century noble palaces. In the Morroni area, you can also find the Ponte Rotto, an imposing remnant of the ancient Appian Way that connected Rome to Brindisi.

Why it's worth the trip

The Apice Carnival is not a mass event and does not claim to be: it is a well-executed, free, open-air village carnival with the slow rhythm of February Sundays. For those visiting the province of Benevento out of season, it is an opportunity to see a community working on a handed-down tradition and to combine the festival with a walk through the abandoned village and a taste of Sannio gastronomy, including Taburno wines and products from local gardens celebrated in other local festivals.