Carema Carnival

The historic Carnival of the village of Carema

In the heart of the village of Carema, the last Piedmontese municipality in the Metropolitan City of Turin before the Aosta Valley border, the Carnival has been the most anticipated event of the year for decades. Nestled among terraced vineyards that produce the renowned Carema DOC wine, the village transforms for four days into a stage of color, music, and ancient Canavese traditions.

The event is passionately organized by the Pro Loco of Carema, which has been preserving and passing down this carnival ritual for over twenty years, involving the entire community. The most distinctive feature of this Carnival is the role entrusted to the youngest: it is the local children and teenagers who portray the traditional characters, from the Miller's Wife and the General to the Handmaidens, Young Officers, and Vivandières.

Torchlight processions, parades, and fagioli grassi

The program weaves together solemn moments and festive occasions: the presentation of the characters from the balcony of the village's fortified house, evening torchlight processions, dance parties, children's entertainment, and the grand Sunday parade featuring allegorical floats and masked groups moving through the village streets, accompanied by the local brass band and the Pifferi e Tamburi di Arnad.

The ritual concludes on Monday with one of its most anticipated symbols: the blessing and distribution of the fagioli grassi, a traditional peasant dish shared by the entire community, followed by the final masquerade ball. It is an authentic, local Carnival where the community and family spirit prevail over spectacle, representing one of the most genuine expressions of carnival culture in the Canavese and the Province of Turin.

An event to discover the Canavese

Participating in the Carema Carnival also means discovering a lesser-known corner of Piedmont, between the Alps and the plains, defined by heroic vineyards, stone, and alpine traditions. It is an ideal destination for those seeking a folk festival far from major tourist flows, immersed in the flavors and rituals of a community that remains faithful to its roots.