Testamento di Carnevale

A centuries-old tradition of the Peligna Valley

The Testamento di Carnevale is one of the most distinctive folk expressions of Pettorano sul Gizio, a small village in the Peligna Valley nestled in the province of L'Aquila, in the heart of the Abruzzo mountains. The event has roots dating back to the early 20th century and features the public reading of King Carnival's will in the setting of Piazza Zannelli: a community ritual that blends the sacred and the profane, local history, and popular heritage.

King Carnival and the reading of the will

The absolute star of the evening is King Carnival, played in recent years by Michele Ciccolella, chef of the restaurant Il Torchio and master of the local 'polenta rognosa'. Dressed in black and wearing a distinctive hat, the King reads the rhyming will before the community gathered in the square. The text is a blend of:

• ancient verses and riddles passed down from generation to generation;
• advice, gossip, and good-natured critiques of village vices;
• playful predictions about the future of the community;
• shared wine, traditional songs, and moments of collective joy.

The reading acts as a true satirical parody of legal documents: under the mask of irony, the Carnival distributes his final assets and mocks the flaws and small events of the village.

The death of Carnival and the arrival of Lent

The performance concludes with the arrival of the 'vecchiaccia Quaresima' (Old Lady Lent), which symbolically marks the end of the festive season and the beginning of the period of penance. As in other Abruzzo communities, King Carnival here takes on the role of a scapegoat: he absorbs the evils of the old year and prepares the population for the labors of spring. The tradition of the death of Carnival, present in various forms throughout Abruzzo, retains in Pettorano sul Gizio this dimension that is both satirical and melancholic, experienced as a cheerful celebration tinged with the shadow of the changing season.

An identity heritage for the Municipality of Pettorano sul Gizio

Over the decades, the figure of King Carnival has been immortalized in books, photographic exhibitions, and paintings, testifying to the identity value this tradition holds for the community. After a few years of hiatus, the Testamento di Carnevale has returned to being one of the most anticipated events of the Pettorano carnival, capable of drawing both children and adults to the square. For the Municipality of Pettorano sul Gizio and the entire Peligna Valley, it represents a precious piece of Abruzzo's intangible heritage, to be rediscovered and preserved.