Historical Carnival of Viterbo

The oldest carnival in Italy

The Historical Carnival of Viterbo, also known as the Viterbo Carnival, boasts ancient origins that make it one of the best-documented carnival celebrations in Italy. A parchment dated February 11, 1198, kept in the city archives, attests that the podestà Raniero di Pepone ordered the municipality of Valentano to pay ten pounds of Sienese currency to fund the festivities: while elsewhere the Carnival was just taking its first steps, in Viterbo it was already a social and political institution. In the 13th century, the Viterbo Statutes mentioned games such as the Ring Race and equestrian Palios.

A reborn tradition

After long interruptions, the event was brought back to life by a group of enthusiasts and, over the course of a decade, has returned to being one of the city's most cherished traditions. The Municipality of Viterbo, capital of the province of the same name in northern Lazio, supports the event together with the organizing committee. Artistic direction is entrusted to Lucio Matteucci, who coordinates the floats, groups, and performers in an event capable of attracting hundreds of participants.

Frisigello, the mask of Tuscia

The symbol of the Viterbo Carnival is Frisigello, a highly skilled jester linked to the city's nobility and the memory of the Church of Sant'Angelo in Spatha. This is the mask that traditionally opens the parade and embodies the fun-loving and popular spirit of the festival, that Viterbo "gojeria" made of irony, color, and a sense of community.

Allegorical floats and masquerade groups

The heart of the event is the grand parade of allegorical floats and masquerade groups that travels through the historic center. The procession starts from Piazza San Sisto and travels along Via Garibaldi, Piazza Fontana Grande, Via Cavour, Piazza del Plebiscito, Via Ascenzi, Piazza dei Caduti, and Via Marconi, amidst masks, majorettes, marching bands, and clouds of confetti. The final days come alive with shows, music, and entertainment for families and children.

Experiencing Viterbo during Carnival

Attending the Historical Carnival is also an opportunity to discover Viterbo, the "City of Popes," with its splendid medieval San Pellegrino district, fountains, and peperino stone palaces. The festival combines the memory of over eight centuries of history with the vibrancy of a community that, every February, fills the squares and streets of the center with its own identity.