Inter-Municipal Carnival (Torre Orsaia stage)

A Carnival uniting three Cilento villages

The Inter-Municipal Carnival was born in 2025 from a partnership between the Pro Loco associations of Roccagloriosa, Celle di Bulgheria, and Torre Orsaia: three municipalities in the inland Cilento region, in the province of Salerno, which chose to pool their floats, masked groups, and resources rather than organizing three separate, competing festivals. The result is a traveling event that brings the same festive spirit from one town to another over a few days: locals can follow every stage, and the floats, built by volunteers in the preceding months, parade multiple times before different audiences.

The Torre Orsaia stage

Torre Orsaia hosts the final day of the event. The village, nestled on the hills overlooking the Bussento valley just a few kilometers from the Gulf of Policastro, transforms for an afternoon into an open-air stage: the town center and the main square welcome the parade of floats, masked groups, music, and confetti. It is a village festival in the most authentic sense, where costumes are handmade, floats are built in local garages and warehouses, and participation is open to everyone, from children to the elderly.

The 2026 edition: Indians and Moulin Rouge

In 2026, the Inter-Municipal Carnival took place from February 14th to 16th: Saturday the 14th in Celle di Bulgheria, Sunday the 15th in Roccagloriosa, and Monday the 16th in Torre Orsaia. The edition's initiatives were dedicated to two distinct themes, Indians and Moulin Rouge, which inspired costumes, choreography, and decorations. Local reports highlighted days filled with music, color, and fun, with a program designed for both adults and children.

The Pro Loco associations as protagonists

The event is organized by the Pro Loco associations of the three municipalities, which share tasks, spaces, and dates with the support of their respective municipal administrations. This is an increasingly popular formula in the inland areas of Campania, where small towns network to guarantee events that would be difficult to sustain alone: by pooling volunteers, equipment, and budgets, the three towns manage to offer three days of celebration instead of three isolated afternoons.

A community Carnival

• Allegorical floats created by local groups in the months leading up to the festival, using recycled materials and papier-mâché
• Masked groups of all ages, often built around a shared theme and choreography rehearsed for weeks
• Music and dancing along the route, with sound systems on the floats and traveling entertainment
• Children and families at the heart of the day: the primary audience for the Cilento parades
• Guests from outside: as early as the first edition in 2025, the «50 + o –» group from Sapri and guests and staff from the SIR facility in Castel Ruggero took part in the Torre Orsaia parade

Torre Orsaia, the Cilento beyond the coast

The Municipality of Torre Orsaia belongs to that inland Cilento that remains off the beaten track of the most crowded seaside circuits: olive trees, forests, stone houses, and a slow pace of life. The Carnival is one of the moments when these villages truly come alive, drawing back those who have emigrated elsewhere and visitors from neighboring towns. For a visitor, it is a precious opportunity to see a popular festival not built for tourists, but lived by the inhabitants — and to discover, on the same trip, the Cilento National Park, the caves of Roccagloriosa, and the Policastro Bussentino coastline.

When and how to follow it

The event traditionally takes place during the Carnival period, between late February and early March depending on the date of Easter: in 2025, the stages were held from March 1st to 4th, and in 2026 from February 14th to 16th. Dates, routes, and precise times are announced each year close to the festival on the Pro Loco social media pages and Cilento information portals: that is where you should look for the updated poster before setting off.