Traditional Aquarese Carnival
The peasant rite of the twelve Months in the Alburni mountains of Salerno, an intangible heritage of Campania
About Aquarese Carnival
A peasant rite in the heart of the Alburni
Aquara is a small village of just over a thousand inhabitants, perched on a hill overlooking the Calore Valley: we are in the Municipality of Aquara, Province of Salerno, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. Here, every year, the Traditional Aquarese Carnival transforms the streets of the historic center into an open-air theater where the community stages itself and its relationship with the land. There are no giant papier-mâché floats or choreographed television spectacles: there is an agro-pastoral propitiatory rite that marks the transition from winter to spring, passed down from generation to generation.
The twelve Months, the four Seasons and the Carnaluvaru
The heart of the festival is the parade of the twelve Months: twelve costumed figures, riding as many decorated donkeys, who recite in rhyme the verses in the Aquarese dialect dedicated to the agricultural cycle, collected and saved by local historian Bruno Levi. Beside them parade the four Seasons, the Carnival captain, and a long procession of masked groups.
Two moments mark the end of the day:
- The Carnival Wedding — a symbolic marriage, with the wedding banquet, which invokes the fertility of the fields and the hope for an abundant harvest.
- The Death of Carnival — the widow mourns the deceased while already looking for a new husband, in an irreverent parody that dismisses winter; then the Carnaluvaru puppet is set on fire to symbolically burn away the uncertainties and difficulties of the past year.
It is the classic carnival mechanism of reversal: social hierarchies are overturned, satire is granted to everyone, and the village recognizes itself in a language that is still that of the peasant civilization.
Intangible heritage of the Campania Region
With roots in the peasant customs of the post-war period and a revival organized starting from the mid-seventies, the Traditional Aquarese Carnival is today one of the most studied carnival rites in the province of Salerno. In 2024, it was inscribed in the inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of the Campania Region (Executive Decree no. 450 of August 5, 2024), a recognition that certifies its ethnographic value. The Pro Loco Aquara APS, led by president Massimiliano Caruso, manages its organization together with the Municipality and local associations, and has collected over time documents, vintage photographs (the oldest dating back to 1970), and a research thesis dedicated to the festival.
The fiftieth anniversary edition: from Piazza San Marco to Aquara
2026 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the event. Before the festival in the village, on February 16, the Pro Loco Aquara brought "The Months" to the stage of Piazza San Marco in Venice, as part of the "Carnival of Traditions – UNPLI" which brought together eight Italian regions. Then, on February 22, Aquara filled with visitors for the parade: guests included the Campanacci of Krunatun from Corleto Monforte, who for the first time brought their propitiatory bell-ringing rite to Aquara, and the performers of the Farsa of Don Annibale from Eboli. On the same day, the Pro Loco inaugurated a statue of Pulcinella dedicated to the Neapolitan mask.
Taste and hospitality
As in every Cilento festival worth its salt, the day is accompanied by tastings of typical products and local wines: the extra virgin olive oil from the Salernitan Hills DOP, cured meats, cheeses from the Alburni, and Carnival sweets prepared in homes. The festival begins early in the morning and continues until late at night, with live music in the square and awards dedicated to costumes, decorated donkeys, and masked groups; at the end, the Golden Mask is presented, the recognition that the Pro Loco assigns to those who have contributed significantly to the growth and continuity of the Carnival.
Why it is worth the trip
Those looking for the most spectacular Carnival will find large parades of allegorical floats elsewhere. People come to Aquara for something different and rarer: a "traditional" Carnival, where every gesture has an agricultural and ritual meaning, where the dialect is part of the show, and where visitors are welcomed as guests of an entire community. An experience that combines well with the discovery of the Alburni Mountains, the nearby Castelcivita Caves, and the villages of the Calore Valley, in one of the least touristy and most authentic areas of inland Campania.
Aquarese Carnival — edition 2026
Fifty years of Traditional Carnival
The fiftieth anniversary gave the 2026 edition an unusual scope. On February 16, the Pro Loco Aquara took to the stage of Piazza San Marco in Venice for the "Carnival of Traditions – UNPLI", presenting "The Months", the peasant masquerade in which the twelve months and the seasons recount in rhyme the phases of the agricultural year between symbols of death and rebirth: a national showcase together with seven other Italian regions.
On February 22, the festival returned home. Many people arrived in Aquara: the day began early with the preparation of costumes and the decoration of the donkeys and ended late in the evening. In the parade, in addition to the twelve Months and the four Seasons with the verses in the Aquarese dialect collected by Bruno Levi, there were for the first time the Campanacci of Krunatun from Corleto Monforte, accompanied by mayor Filippo Ferraro and the local Pro Loco, and the performers of the Farsa of Don Annibale from Eboli.
The most theatrical part of the rite was not missing: the symbolic marriage with the wedding banquet, and then the death of Carnival, with the widow mourning the deceased while already looking for a new husband, before the burning of the puppet. On the same day, the Pro Loco, led by Massimiliano Caruso, inaugurated a statue of Pulcinella, while the Municipality of Aquara with mayor Antonio Marino supported the event, now recognized as intangible heritage of the Campania Region.
Programme Aquarese Carnival 2026
Sunday, February 22, 2026 — Aquara (SA)
- From the morning — preparation of costumes, decoration of donkeys, and gathering of masked groups in the historic center.
- Afternoon — Traditional Carnival parade: the twelve Months riding donkeys and the four Seasons recite verses in the Aquarese dialect collected by local historian Bruno Levi; Carnival captain Lucio D'Urso.
- Guests of the fiftieth anniversary edition: the Campanacci of Krunatun from Corleto Monforte and the performers of the Farsa of Don Annibale from Eboli.
- The Carnival Wedding with the wedding banquet, a rite of fertility for the fields.
- The Death of Carnival: the widow's weeping and the burning of the Carnaluvaru puppet.
- Inauguration of the statue of Pulcinella commissioned by the Pro Loco Aquara.
- Tastings of typical products and local wines.
- Awards for masks and presentation of the Golden Mask.
- The party continues until late at night.
Monday, February 16, 2026 — Venice, Piazza San Marco
- From 3:30 PM — the Pro Loco Aquara brings "The Months" to the stage of Piazza San Marco as part of the "Carnival of Traditions – UNPLI", with eight selected Italian regions (Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Sicily, Veneto, and Sardinia) and over eleven groups on stage.
Highlights Aquarese Carnival 2026
- The procession of the twelve Months riding donkeys, with verses in the Aquarese dialect
- The Carnival Wedding, a propitiatory rite for the fertility of the fields
- The burning of the Carnaluvaru that closes the festival
- The fiftieth anniversary and the inauguration of the Pulcinella statue
- The Campanacci of Krunatun from Corleto Monforte, guests for the first time
- The trip on February 16 to the stage of Piazza San Marco in Venice
Prices Aquarese Carnival 2026
Practical information — Aquarese Carnival
How to get there
Aquara is located at about 500 meters above sea level, on the southern slope of the Alburni Mountains, just over an hour's drive from Salerno. By car, the reference is the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, from which you go up the Calore Valley along the provincial roads of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. There is no train station in the village: those arriving by train must reach the Piana del Sele and continue by car or local bus services.
Practical tips
- On the day of the parade, the streets of the historic center are very crowded: it is advisable to arrive early and leave the car at the entrance to the village.
- We are in February and in the hills: warm clothing and comfortable shoes are recommended, because the route is uphill and on paved ground.
- The festival is also designed for families: there are prizes dedicated to the children's masks.
Rates
The parade and the moments in the square are free to enter. For food and wine tastings and any contributions, it is advisable to inquire directly with the Pro Loco Aquara.
Where to sleep
In Aquara and the nearby Alburni municipalities, there are farmhouses, B&Bs, and holiday homes; for those who want more choice, Paestum and the Piana del Sele offer much wider accommodation about half an hour away.
Contacts
Pro Loco Aquara APS — official website prolocoaquara.it, Facebook and Instagram pages @proloco_aquara updated with dates and program for each edition.
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Where does it take place — Aquarese Carnival
Piazza Vittorio Veneto e centro storico
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 84020 Aquara