Pollena Trocchia Carnival

A community celebration at the foot of Mount Vesuvius

The Pollena Trocchia Carnival is now a staple of the winter calendar in this Vesuvius-area town, located in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania. Created to give the town a collective celebration that engages all generations, it has solidified in just a few years thanks to the collaboration between the municipal administration and local associations. It is not a monumental carnival like Italy's historic ones; rather, it is a sincere and participatory neighborhood street festival, where the allegorical float serves as a pretext for filling the squares and bringing people together.

Two Sundays, two distinct events

The well-established format features two separate days, both on Sunday mornings or afternoons. The first is dedicated primarily to children, with entertainment, games, and shows in a local park or play area; the second is the final parade, which winds through the town center following the allegorical float. This choice allows the festivities to be spread across two weekends, offering two different experiences: one more intimate and child-focused, the other choral and itinerant.

The parade route

The final parade kicks off from the Via Esperanto market area and winds along the town's main streets. The masked procession crosses Piazza Amodio, the historic heart of Pollena dominated by the neoclassical church of San Giacomo, continues along Corso Umberto and Piazza Donizetti, and concludes on Via Vigna. The route is entirely urban and flat, making it easily walkable even with strollers.

Who organizes it

The Carnival is promoted by the Municipality of Pollena Trocchia—led by Mayor Carlo Esposito, with Deputy Mayor and Event Councilor Francesco Pinto—with the support of the Metropolitan City of Naples. The actual execution is entrusted to local associations:

• Graffito d'Argento, chaired by Annamaria Romano, which organizes the first day, "Waiting for Carnival," with its own allegorical float;
• SOUL APS, a social promotion association, which manages the final parade;
• local parishes, which have been involved in previous editions in organizing the festivities.

The administration's publicly stated policy is to concentrate resources on a few events capable of truly enhancing local traditions, rather than dispersing them across a fragmented calendar.

What to see in the streets

Visitors will find the classic trappings of a popular Campanian carnival, with a few contemporary touches:

• decorated allegorical floats that lead the procession and distribute gadgets;
• confetti, streamers, and giant balloons;
• dance groups and loud music accompanying the walk;
• street performers, stilt walkers, and entertainers;
• inflatables, mascots, and team games on the day dedicated to children;
• DIY masks and family costumes, often more creative than store-bought ones.

Pollena Trocchia, between Vesuvius and Monte Somma

Pollena Trocchia is a town of just over thirteen thousand inhabitants nestled in the Vesuvius National Park, on the northwestern slope of the volcano. The town retains the agricultural and residential character of Vesuvius-area centers, with the 18th-century villas of the "Golden Mile" nearby and the Lacryma Christi vineyards on the slopes above. Along with the patron saint festivals, the Carnival is one of the moments when the community shows its unity and the street returns to being a shared public space.

Why it's worth visiting

It is an authentic, free carnival without tourist artifice: you arrive, join the procession, and walk along with everyone else. For those visiting the Vesuvius area in February, it is an opportunity to see a Campanian town in its most genuine dimension, far from the crowded circuits of Pompeii and Herculaneum, yet only a few kilometers from both.