Ladin Carnival of Campitello (El Carnascèr de Ciampedel)

A Ladin ritual among the oldest in the Dolomites

The Ladin Carnival of Campitello, known locally as El Carnascèr de Ciampedel, is much more than a costume party: it is a community ritual rooted in the ancient rural custom of bidding farewell to winter and welcoming the rebirth of spring. It takes place in Campitello di Fassa, a town in the Val di Fassa in Trentino-Alto Adige, and stands as one of the most authentic and well-preserved carnivals in the entire Alpine region.

The carnival season traditionally begins on January 17th, the feast of Saint Anthony Abbot, and continues until Shrove Tuesday, filling the weeks with parades, torchlight processions, masquerade balls, and performances in valley theaters.

Traditional masks: Laché, Bufon, and Marascons

At the heart of the event is the Grop de la Mescrès de Ciampedèl, the group of masks that embodies the iconic characters of the Fassa carnival:

• The Laché: leads the parade in vibrant, richly decorated costumes that are true works of textile art.
• The Bufon: recognizable by his long nose and funny hat, he teases the girls and tells stories and jokes in rhyme in the Ladin dialect.
• The Marascons: wear large masks and belts with bronze cowbells, symbolizing the ancient bond between the valley inhabitants and their livestock.

The faces are covered by facères, wooden masks carved from half a log of Swiss pine with extraordinary skill by local sculptors. They are divided into facères da bel (beautiful and elegant) and facères da burt (grotesque and caricatured). Each mask is a unique piece, carved both outside and inside to fit perfectly to the wearer's face.

The great parade of Campitello

The most anticipated event is the great Sunday parade, which starts from the main square of Campitello, the Piaz de Ciampedel. The triumphant entrance of the Grop de la Mescrès kicks off a long procession of masks, floats, music, pranks, and laughter that animate the town center. Between one passage and another, there is no shortage of theatrical performances and improvised sketches in Ladin, passing down the irony and satire typical of the community from generation to generation.

Mountain flavors and atmosphere

The festival is also an opportunity to savor the valley's gastronomy: sausage sandwiches, crostoli, apple fritters, and traditional Trentino sweets accompany the day in an atmosphere of shared joy. The backdrop of the snow-capped Dolomites makes the event even more evocative, combining folklore, nature, and Ladin identity.

A Ladin cultural heritage

The Ladin Carnival is not a show built for tourists, but a living heritage of the Val di Fassa community. Participating means immersing yourself in a centuries-old tradition that speaks the Ladin language, preserves ancestral gestures and rituals, and renews the bond between past and present every year. For visitors, it is the perfect occasion to discover the most authentic soul of Trentino and one of its historic linguistic minorities.