Gli amici di Balanzone – Carnival of memories and friends

A Carnival of friendship in Ponte Ronca

A few kilometres from Bologna, in the heart of the hamlet of Ponte Ronca, in the Municipality of Zola Predosa (Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna), Carnival takes on a very special dimension. "Gli amici di Balanzone – Carnival of memories and friends" is not just a masked parade: it is a gathering that brings together the official masks from all over Italy to celebrate Doctor Balanzone together, the mask that has represented the spirit of Bologna for centuries.

Balanzone, the mask of Bologna

Doctor Balanzone is the Bolognese soul of the Commedia dell'Arte: a pompous and self-important law professor, who speaks in macaronic Latin and a torrent of words, but who also embodies the pride of a "learned" city, proud of its knowledge. In Ponte Ronca, this figure becomes the common thread of a festival that weaves together fun, popular culture, and collective memory.

A tribute to Alessandro Mandrioli

This edition also serves as a tribute to Alessandro Mandrioli, who for over thirty years – from 1989 until his death in 2025 – embodied Balanzone, taking the Bolognese mask around Italy, Europe, and even overseas. A resident of the Zola Predosa area, Mandrioli linked his name to the spread of this tradition, and friends and masks from Italy wanted to remember him with a day of celebration.

The masks of Italy in parade

The heart of the event is the parade of official masks: twenty-five figures from different Italian regions, including Arlecchino from Bergamo, the Pavironica family from Modena, Re Biscottino from Novara, Pescarello Scherzarello from Polignano a Mare, and Giangurgolo from Catanzaro. Accompanying the procession are the Banda Bellini and Bolognese flag-throwers, who fill the streets of the hamlet with music and colour.

A festival for all ages

The event takes place around the Ilaria Alpi Sociocultural Centre and the sports field provided by Asd Ponte Ronca. In addition to the parade, the day offers entertainment and a snack for children, as well as the screening of a documentary film dedicated to the mask of Balanzone and its history. A family-friendly Carnival, organized by the Ilaria Alpi Sociocultural Centre with local parishes and Asd Ponte Ronca, under the patronage of the Municipalities of Bologna and Zola Predosa.