I Mazzaroni — Historical Carnival of Schiavi di Abruzzo

The historical Mazzaroni Carnival

In Schiavi di Abruzzo, a small village in the Alto Vastese perched on the slopes of Monte Pizzuto in the Trigno valley, the Mazzaroni Carnival is much more than a masquerade: it is a community ritual with centuries-old roots, preserved and passed down through generations. In the local dialect, the protagonists are l'mazzaroun, young men from the village who wear a ceremonial headdress known as the Cimiero (C'mir), covered in colorful paper flowers and ribbons called zagarelle.

The procession and the ritual begging

The Mazzaroni group is led by the Pulcinella, the central figure of the Schiavi carnival, recognizable by his staff (the sagliocca), a symbol of power, semi-divinity, and the renewal of nature. During the festivities, the procession travels through the village and its numerous hamlets, visiting homes in a ritual quest: in exchange for songs and dances, the Mazzaroni receive sweets, wine, and cured meats, following an ancient pact of reciprocity that binds the community together.

The spallata, a propitiatory dance

The heart of the ritual is the spallata, a propitiatory dance of ancient origins. The dance features a complex structure with exchanges and approaches between couples arranged in parallel lines, facing each other, or in a circle, characterized by rhythmic movements of the hips, shoulders, and feet. According to some anthropological interpretations, its movements evoke the ancient paths taken by shepherds to lead their flocks from the mountains to the sea. An allusive song, which preserves a sort of orally transmitted code, accompanies the dance, marking verses and choruses like choreographic commands.

A village between history and archaeology

The charm of the Mazzaroni Carnival is intertwined with the identity of Schiavi di Abruzzo, in the province of Chieti, a town that tradition says was founded by Slavic populations who arrived from the other side of the Adriatic around the year 1000. Here, you can also find the Sacred Area of the Italic Temples, one of the most important archaeological sites in Abruzzo, testifying to a continuity of ritual practices from the pre-Roman age to the present day.

A heritage of inland Abruzzo

Immersed in the landscape of the Alto Vastese, on the border with Molise, the Mazzaroni Carnival represents one of the most vibrant expressions of Abruzzese folklore. Organized with the collaboration of the Associazione Schiavi della Musica, it attracts residents, returning emigrants, and curious visitors eager to rediscover an authentic festival, far from the clamor of more tourist-oriented carnivals, where ritual gestures, music, and conviviality maintain their deepest meaning.