Spring Festival and Parade of Plaster Floats of Celebration and Thought

A serious carnival in the heart of Romagna

The Spring Festival and Parade of Plaster Floats of Celebration and Thought is the identity event of Casola Valsenio, a municipality in the Senio valley in the province of Ravenna, in the Tuscan-Romagnol Apennines of Emilia-Romagna. It is a unique event in the Italian panorama: unlike festive and boisterous carnivals, here the floats do not provoke laughter but invite reflection, addressing themes of history, current events, and civic engagement through artistic language. For this reason, it is often described as the only serious carnival known.

A tradition over a century old

The origins date back to 1891, when the floats were created for Mid-Lent. When, in 1908, the Mid-Lent festival was abolished, the event transformed into the Spring Festival, but maintained its vocation to address serious topics. With interruptions due to the two world wars and, more recently, the pandemic, the event will reach its 125th edition in 2026, a sign of rare continuity deeply rooted in the Casola community.

The plaster giants

The absolute protagonists are the three floats, true monumental sculptures built in wood and plaster: about seven meters long, six meters wide, and almost nine meters high. The figures remain motionless, molded as if made of plaster themselves, blending with the float. Each work is accompanied by the so-called Relazioni, short popular literature texts that explain and reinforce its meaning. The themes range from social denunciation to the great issues of history and current events.

The parades and the Burning of the Segavecchia

The festival is divided into two moments. The daytime parade, in the afternoon, takes the floats through the historic center amidst music, art markets, and food stalls. In the evening comes the Burning of the Segavecchia, an ancient propitiatory rite that symbolically closes winter. A few days later, the giants return to the stage with the evocative nighttime parade, illuminated by light effects and accompanied by evocative music. A jury of experts awards prizes, while the public votes for the most appreciated float.

Culture, art, and community

A rich collateral program revolves around the parades: the Weekend of the Workshops, which opens the workshops where the floats take shape, exhibitions dedicated to the sketches and master builders, screenings at the Nuovo Cinema Senio on the history of the Casola floats, and photographic competitions. The event, organized by the Pro Loco of Casola Valsenio with the support of the Municipality and the Emilia-Romagna Region, involves the entire town in a choral work that lasts months, preserving a heritage of popular traditions recognized among the historic carnivals of the region.