Carnevale dei Poveri of Olevano sul Tusciano

A peasant tradition in the heart of the Salernitan Hills

In the municipality of Olevano sul Tusciano, in the province of Salerno, Carnival is no ordinary parade. Every year, on Shrove Tuesday, the Carnevale dei Poveri takes place—a ritual inherited from the agricultural world, revived by local associations after years of silence. The name says it all: no flashy floats or expensive costumes, but simple masks, homespun fabrics, cowbells, and above all, donkeys—working animals that become the true stars of the festival for a day.

The Cantata of the Twelve Months on donkey-back

The heart of the event is the Cantata of the Twelve Months on donkey-back, an anthropological performance that depicts the agricultural cycle through thirteen symbolic figures. The procession is led by Capodanno (New Year), the father of the twelve months, who rides on horseback; behind him, the personifications of January, February, March, and so on, up to December, parade one by one.

In front of houses, doorways, and squares, each month stops to sing of its own character in verse: the cold and the hearth fire, pruning, sowing, harvesting, grape picking, olive gathering, and the wait for winter. It is a true oral encyclopedia of peasant life, passed down from generation to generation and delivered with irony, self-deprecation, and a rhythm that the audience knows by heart.

• Capodanno, who leads and introduces the months;
• the twelve months in costume, each with their own tools and symbols;
• donkeys adorned with drapes, ribbons, and bells;
• traditional songs and music, performed live along the route;
• the ritual begging from house to house, with offerings of wine, cured meats, and Carnival sweets.

The route through Salitto, Monticelli and Ariano

Olevano sul Tusciano is a scattered municipality, and the festival traverses it entirely: in historical editions, the procession starts in the morning from Salitto (with its Castagneto, Busolino, and Porta districts), continues around noon to Monticelli, and closes in the afternoon at Ariano, the municipal seat, where the day ends in Piazza Umberto I. Each hamlet welcomes the months with tables and glasses: the Cantata is a traveling ritual that unites the pieces of the village.

The funeral of King Carnival

As in many Southern traditions, the day concludes with the funeral of King Carnival: the puppet that embodied excess and license is mourned, carried in procession, and bid farewell amidst comical wailing and laughter, marking the transition to Lent.

Intangible Heritage of Campania

The Campania Region, through the General Directorate for Cultural Policies and Tourism, has recognized the cultural value of the celebration Il Carnevale dei Poveri - La Cantata dei Dodici Mesi a dorso d'asino, inscribing it in the Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Campania (IPIC) along with another Olevano tradition, Lo Zampaglione and the rites of Saint Anthony Abbot. The recognition, inspired by the 2003 UNESCO Convention, certifies a living practice transmitted from generation to generation.

Allegorical floats and village festival

Alongside the Cantata, the Olevano Carnival also includes a parade of allegorical floats and masked groups organized by local associations, including the Club Eureka - Egidio Poppiti, the group that had the merit of recovering the ancient peasant rite. The parade crosses the hamlets in the afternoon and concludes with music, dancing, and entertainment for children: it is the most festive and family-oriented part of the day, attracting crowds from across the province of Salerno.

From Olevano to St. Mark's Square

The fame of the ritual has crossed regional borders. In February 2026, the Pro Loco Olevano sul Tusciano brought the Carnevale dei Poveri and the Cantata of the Twelve Months on donkey-back to the Venice Carnival, on the stage of St. Mark's Square, as part of the Carnival of Traditions festival coordinated by UNPLI (National Union of Pro Loco of Italy), which selects the most representative historical carnivals of the peninsula every year.

Why it's worth the trip

Those looking for a Carnival of lights and gigantic floats won't find it here: Olevano offers an agro-pastoral ritual that has survived the 20th century, with its donkeys and verses in dialect. Combine it with a visit to the Grotto of Saint Michael the Archangel, a cave complex with Byzantine-era frescoes.