Calcata Carnival

Carnival in the village of artists

There are few places in the world where Carnival feels as much at home as in Calcata, a tiny tuff-stone village suspended on a rocky spur in the Treja Valley, in the province of Viterbo. Abandoned in the mid-20th century and later reborn thanks to artists, artisans, and bohemians who turned it into one of the most original villages in Lazio, Calcata has a natural vocation for celebration, dressing up, and imagination. The Calcata Carnival is the event that, in the heart of winter, gives shape to this spirit: a day of masks, colors, and music that involves the entire community.

The masquerade parade and allegorical floats

The highlight of the event is the masquerade parade, which winds through the streets of Calcata Nuova, the modern part of the town, with its meeting point around Piazza Risorgimento. Masked groups and allegorical floats parade amidst confetti, streamers, and plenty of music, in an afternoon designed especially for children and families. To encourage participation, the Municipality of Calcata has for years provided a grant to groups composed of at least ten participants and to the allegorical floats registered for the procession: a small support that keeps the creativity of the inhabitants and local associations alive.

The legacy of the Piccolo Carnevale Armonico

The Calcata Carnival also has its roots in the experience of the Piccolo Carnevale Armonico, a project born in the early 2000s dedicated to peace and the meeting of cultures, hosted in Calcata Nuova and the ancient village. From that season, the festival inherited its focus on children, creative workshops, the construction of musical instruments from recycled materials, and the processions that cross the medieval alleys accompanied by sounds and masks from all over the world. It is this dimension, both popular and artistic, that distinguishes the Calcata Carnival from the more traditional parades of the Tuscia region.

Calcata, a village to experience

Participating in the Carnival is also an opportunity to discover one of the most evocative villages in the Viterbo area. The historic center of Calcata, with its alleys carved into the tuff, artisan workshops, art galleries, and glimpses of the Treja Valley, provides the perfect backdrop for the masquerade festival. It is no coincidence that the winter version of the Carnival is accompanied in summer by an open-air variant as part of the Estate Calcatese, a sign of how much dressing up and the desire to be together are part of the identity of this town in the province of Viterbo.