Sant'Anna Carnival

The Sant'Anna District Carnival

In Boscotrecase, a small town in the province of Naples, Campania, the Carnival spirit extends well beyond the main city parade. In the Sant'Anna district—the neighborhood clustered around the parish church in the shadow of Vesuvius—the celebration is more intimate and artisanal. The parish of Sant'Anna, led by Father Pasquale Paduano, works with the youth center and local groups to organize a Carnival day featuring handmade floats, costumes, music, and confetti.

This is a grassroots festival, free from massive budgets or high-profile names. Its true value lies in the collective effort of youth leaders, parents, and children who spend weeks preparing costumes and structures within the parish grounds. The result is a parade that traverses the district's streets and culminates in Piazza Sant'Anna, where the festivities continue with music and games.

The Children's Parade

The heart of the event is the children's parade. The 2025 edition was centered around the theme of Creation: a guiding thread used to teach children about the environment, specifically the importance of waste sorting and recycling. Costumes and decorations thus became a small educational workshop as well as a collective game.

The Floats

Two floats brought the 2025 edition to life:

• Fantabosco (Fantasy Forest) — a float created by the youth center animators, designed as an explosion of color for the neighborhood children and their families.
• Vesuvio in Maschera (Vesuvius in Mask) — a float presented by the Buffoni della Torretta group, which pays homage to the volcano that dominates the Boscotrecase landscape.

Once the parade concluded, the procession headed toward Piazza Sant'Anna, where the main festivities began.

The Sant'Anna District and its Church

The district takes its name from the parish of Sant'Anna, established on January 19, 1669, in an area then known as the "Oratory," one of the three historic centers from which Boscotrecase originated, alongside Annunziatella and Terra Vecchia. The church has weathered the difficult history of the Vesuvian slopes: during the eruption of April 7-8, 1906, lava invaded the town and reached the church's high altar. Restored and returned to the community, it remains the neighborhood's landmark, which also hosts the patronal feast in honor of Saint Anne at the end of July.

Piazza Sant'Anna, the heart of the district and the finish line for the Carnival parade, is at the center of a redevelopment project announced by the municipal administration in July 2026. This million-euro investment aims to level the space, add a children's playground, create new parking spots, install a fountain, and introduce new urban furniture.

Carnival in Boscotrecase and the Vesuvian Area

The Sant'Anna district festival is part of a particularly vibrant period for the town. Boscotrecase also hosts Boscotrecase in Maschera, a city-wide event that reached its seventh edition in 2025, with parades held between March 1st and 4th. The entire Vesuvian area celebrates Carnival with great intensity, from Terzigno to Boscoreale and Torre Annunziata: a popular tradition that has never become a tourist spectacle, remaining instead a genuine town and neighborhood celebration.

When it takes place

Carnival is a movable feast, and dates change every year. In 2025, the district festival was held during the Carnival period in early March. For 2026, the parish has not yet released an official calendar. It is best to follow the Sant'Anna parish channels to learn the date, route, and times as soon as they are announced.