Carnival of the Months of Bagnoli del Trigno

A Propitiatory Rite of Alto Molise

The Carnival of the Months of Bagnoli del Trigno, in the province of Isernia, is a traditional carnival that belongs to the family of propitiatory rites linked to a good harvest. The performance stages the personification of the twelve months and the four seasons, recounting the life cycle of nature as seen by the peasant world.

Francische lu giulliere

The true protagonist of the festival is Francische lu giulliere, a sort of Pulcinella who summons the Months. Traditionally dressed in white, with a stick and a tall hat or crown on his head, he accompanies the scene to the rhythm of the popular song "Sanghe de Serinella". There are about thirty characters, all male: two Pulcinellas, two "straccioni" (ragged figures), a presenter, an orchestra conductor with his musicians, a grandfather, a father, and the figures impersonating the twelve months and the four seasons.

The Destruction of the Effigy

The festival concludes with the destruction of the Carnival effigy: a gesture of symbolic value that leaves behind the misfortunes of the past year. When the puppet is completely burned, the new agricultural year begins, leading towards spring. Revived since 1992, generally annually, the rite has been registered as intangible heritage by the Ministry of Culture.