Montalenghe Carnival
Two days of tradition, historical masks, and the flavors of the Canavese Carnival
About Montalenghe Carnival
The Montalenghe Carnival, a living tradition of the Canavese
Every year, the town of Montalenghe, a small village nestled on the southern slopes of the Morainic Amphitheatre in the province of Turin, celebrates its Carnival, one of the community's most cherished festivals. Organized by the Pro Loco with the patronage of the municipal administration, the event takes place over a weekend and blends moments dedicated to children, gastronomic appointments, and symbolic rituals linked to the town's history.
The Caplera and Guiandin masks
The heart of the festival's identity lies in its two traditional masks, Caplera and Guiandin, figures that tell the story of Montalenghe's artisanal and rural past. The name Guiandin refers to the crafting of whip handles made from hackberry wood, called guienda in the local Canavese dialect, an activity widespread in the village until the mid-twentieth century. The Caplera, on the other hand, recalls the cultivation of hemp and the skilled weavers who hand-braided the headgear known as caplere. During the Carnival, these masks are presented to the citizens from the Town Hall balcony, a highly anticipated moment that renews the bond with tradition.
Typical flavors of the Piedmontese Carnival
The festival is also a gastronomic occasion. The Carnival dinner offers specialties of Piedmontese cuisine such as polenta, salt cod (baccalà ), and wild boar stew, while on Sunday the protagonists are the Fagioli grassi e coticche (fat beans with pork rinds), a symbolic dish of the Canavese Carnival that is blessed and distributed in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. Afterward, the 'pranzo grasso' (fat lunch) brings the community together around the table.
The parade and the confetti battle
The most colorful moment is the afternoon allegorical parade, which travels through the streets of the historic center and culminates in the long-awaited confetti battle, which involves both adults and children. The children's carnival, featuring games and entertainment, completes a program designed for the whole family.
An event in the heart of Piedmont
Included in the rich calendar of Canavese carnivals, the Montalenghe Carnival represents a small jewel of Piedmontese folklore, where popular tradition, artisanal memory, and conviviality merge into two days of celebration in the Piedmont Region.
Montalenghe Carnival — edition 2026
The 2026 edition brought the village of Montalenghe to life over the weekend of March 7th and 8th. Saturday, March 7th, the festival began at 3:00 PM with the children's carnival, animated by PartySimo with games and entertainment. At 6:30 PM, the presentation of the traditional Caplera and Guiandin masks took place from the Town Hall balcony, followed by an aperitif offered by the Pro Loco and the Carnival dinner at 8:00 PM, featuring polenta, salt cod, wild boar stew, and other Piedmontese specialties.
Sunday, March 8th, the program resumed at 10:00 AM with Holy Mass in the presence of the historical masks; at 11:30 AM, in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, the blessing and distribution of the traditional Fagioli grassi e coticche took place. At 12:45 PM, the 'pranzo grasso' was held, and in the afternoon, at 3:30 PM, the allegorical parade started from Piazza Concordia through the town, culminating in the confetti battle.
Programme Montalenghe Carnival 2026
Saturday, March 7, 2026
- 3:00 PM - Children's Carnival, animation by PartySimo
- 6:30 PM - Presentation of the traditional Caplera and Guiandin masks from the Town Hall balcony
- Followed by - Aperitif offered by the Pro Loco at the Polivalente
- 8:00 PM - Carnival dinner: polenta, salt cod, wild boar stew, and Piedmontese specialties
Sunday, March 8, 2026
- 10:00 AM - Holy Mass with the historical masks
- 11:30 AM - Blessing and distribution of Fagioli grassi e coticche in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II
- 12:45 PM - 'Pranzo grasso' at the Polivalente
- 3:30 PM - Allegorical parade from Piazza Concordia with a confetti battle
Highlights Montalenghe Carnival 2026
- Presentation of the traditional Caplera and Guiandin masks
- Distribution of traditional Fagioli grassi e coticche
- Allegorical parade and confetti battle
- Children's carnival with entertainment
Prices Montalenghe Carnival 2026
Practical information — Montalenghe Carnival
How to get there
Montalenghe can be reached by car via the A5 Turin-Aosta motorway (exits at Scarmagno or San Giorgio Canavese) and the SP56. The nearest train station is Caluso, on the Turin-Ivrea-Aosta line, from where you can continue by car or local bus.
Information and reservations
The event is organized by the Pro Loco Montalenghe; reservations for the Carnival dinner and lunch must be made in the days leading up to the event. In case of bad weather, the events will take place at the Polivalente sports hall.
Contacts
Municipality of Montalenghe, Via Cavour 2, 10090 Montalenghe (TO) - tel. +39 011 9839458 - [email protected]. Updates are available on the Pro Loco Montalenghe Facebook page.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Montalenghe Carnival
Centro storico di Montalenghe
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 10090 Montalenghe