Inter-Municipal Carnival (final stage in Montano Antilia)

A carnival uniting the villages of the Cilento hinterland

The Inter-Municipal Carnival is one of the most popular events in the Cilento inland area. Its formula is simple and effective: instead of being confined to a single town, the festival moves from municipality to municipality, turning a different village into an open-air stage for floats, choreography, and masked groups each time. In the 2026 edition, announced by local press as the tenth, the circuit visited Alfano, Rofrano, Laurito, and Montano Antilia, in the province of Salerno, with Torre Orsaia participating as a guest community.

The final stage in Montano Antilia

Montano Antilia, a town in lower Cilento nestled within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, hosts the concluding stage of the event. It is here that, following the final parade through the town streets, the most anticipated moment of the entire circuit arrives: the proclamation of the winners. The final day thus combines the masked procession and the awards ceremony, with the participation of groups from all involved municipalities and a crowd that, according to local reports, draws visitors from neighboring towns as well.

Competition categories

Throughout the stages, a jury evaluates the work of the groups and associations from the participating towns. The final awards, presented in Montano Antilia, are given in four categories:

• Float — the best allegorical float of the circuit;
• Choreography — the best overall performance accompanying the float;
• Individual Costume — the most successful individual mask;
• Masquerade Group — the best-coordinated masked troupe.

The competition remains friendly and community-focused, but it is precisely this contest that drives each community to meticulously craft costumes, music, and sets, making every stage a small celebration of local identity.

An "out-of-season" carnival

A unique feature of the 2026 edition was its placement on the calendar: the parades did not take place during the traditional February period, but in the month of April, leading local press to describe it as an "out-of-season carnival" in Cilento. The four stages took place over two weekends, from April 11 to April 19, 2026. In 2025, however, the event was held during the more traditional period, between late February and early March. This flexibility is typical of Cilento folk festivals, which adapt to the rhythms of the communities and the local event calendar.

Montano Antilia, a hillside village in the National Park

Montano Antilia is a small town in the province of Salerno, in Campania, with just over 1,600 inhabitants and a territory situated at an altitude of around 700 meters, including the hamlets of Massicelle and Abatemarco. The town is part of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, a short distance from the lower Cilento coast: a landscape of forests, streams, and stone villages that serves as a natural backdrop for the parade. The patron saint is Saint Sebastian, celebrated on January 20.

Organizers

The event is born from the collaboration between the Pro Loco associations of the involved municipalities — including Pro Loco Alfano, A.S.C. Pro Loco Laurito, and Pro Loco Rofrano — with the patronage of their respective municipal administrations. In Montano Antilia, the local point of reference is the Pro Loco Montano Antilia, which has overseen the town's carnival for years and manages its organization alongside volunteers. It is a collective effort involving dozens of people of all ages, from the youth preparing the choreography to the families sewing the costumes.

Why it's worth it

Those seeking a spectacular, television-style carnival will find what they want elsewhere; however, those who want to see how the Cilento hinterland truly lives outside the beach season will find an authentic experience here. The parades cross narrow streets and village squares, the audience consists of residents and visitors from neighboring towns, and the party continues upon the arrival of the procession with music and dancing. It is also an opportunity to discover four villages that rarely appear on mainstream tourist itineraries.