Caposele Carnival

A community carnival in Alta Irpinia

The Caposele Carnival is the event that, between February and March, fills the streets of Caposele—a town in the province of Avellino, in Campania—with masks, colors, and music. This is not a massive, commercialized event; rather, it is a festival built by local associations and families who, for one afternoon, transform the entire town—from the hamlet of Materdomini to the historic center—into a single, joyful parade. The result is a genuine, free, and highly participatory carnival where the audience doesn't just watch, but truly becomes part of the celebration.

The parade: from Materdomini to the heart of Caposele

The highlight of the day is the parade of masks and allegorical floats. The meeting point is set for the early afternoon at the high school parking lot in Materdomini, the town's most famous hamlet, home to the Basilica of San Gerardo Maiella. From there, the procession sets off toward the heart of Caposele, winding through the main streets amidst music, confetti, and costumed groups. The floats, prepared in the preceding weeks, often feature current events, popular characters, and themes related to daily life in the town.

• Meeting of the masks at the high school parking lot in Materdomini
• Departure of the parade toward the center of Caposele
• Allegorical floats, costumed groups, and musical accompaniment
• Free participation, dressing up is encouraged

Lively squares and the party in Piazzale Leonardo

Once in town, the Caposele Carnival spreads across the main squares, which host themed entertainment designed especially for children and families. The afternoon concludes in Piazzale Leonardo, which becomes the day's open-air dance floor: in the 2025 edition, groups like Latin Art Academy and Latin Heart energized the space with their Latin rhythms, drawing adults and teenagers onto the dance floor until evening. It is a simple afternoon, without tickets or barriers, just like the festivals that truly belong to the community.

A living popular tradition: the Quadriglia Batticulu

Caposele is no ordinary town when it comes to folk dance. Here, the Quadriglia Batticulu survives—a local variation of the quadrille, a group dance widespread throughout Southern Italy where a "dance master" calls out the figures. In Caposele, the sequence ends with the characteristic "batticulo," a rhythmic tapping of the backside to the beat of a "stoppata" tarantella, which gives the dance its name. The local folk group, led by dance master Tonuccio, has taken this tradition far beyond the borders of Irpinia: on February 15, 2026, they performed on the stage of the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome for the "La Tarantella del Carnevale" festival. Experiencing these steps in the town squares during carnival or summer festivals is one of the most authentic experiences Caposele has to offer.

Carnival in Irpinia: a widespread calendar

Visitors arriving in this area during the carnival season will discover that the province of Avellino is one of the richest areas in Southern Italy for late-winter folklore. Within a few kilometers, deeply rooted events follow one another: the dances and masks of Montemarano, the Castelveterese Carnival in Castelvetere sul Calore, the Paternopoli Carnival, the Teorese Carnival in Teora, and the "zeze" songs in the valley towns. The Caposele Carnival fits into this fabric with a more familiar, village-like character, but with the same spirit of collective participation.

Caposele, the town of the Sele springs

Caposele is located at an altitude of about 415 meters in Alta Irpinia and owes its name to the springs of the Sele River, which flow right here and have fed the Apulian Aqueduct for over a century. The town, awarded the Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club, has just over three thousand inhabitants and is divided between the historic center and the hamlet of Materdomini, a pilgrimage site linked to Saint Gerard Majella. Rebuilt after the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, the town has maintained a strong community identity, which is clearly visible in its festivals.

Why it's worth a visit

The Caposele Carnival doesn't promise spectacular, high-budget productions, but it offers something that more famous carnivals have often lost: the feeling of being inside the party rather than just watching a show. It is the perfect idea for a Sunday afternoon with the family in Alta Irpinia, perhaps combining the parade with a visit to the Sele springs and the sanctuary of Materdomini.