Verrone Carnival

The Verrone Carnival

The Verrone Carnival is a traditional fixture in the winter calendar of the Lower Biella area, in the province of Biella, in the heart of Piedmont. For an entire weekend, the small village transforms into a stage of colors, confetti, and joy, attracting families, children, and curious visitors from across the region. Organized by the local administration together with the Pro Loco of Verrone, it is considered one of the most anticipated moments of the carnival season in the Biella territory.

The Fungiun and Fungiuna masks

At the heart of the festival's identity are the town's historic masks: the Fungiun and the Fungiuna, a symbolic couple embodying the popular and jovial spirit of Verrone. They lead the festivities, welcome other masks, and represent the community during the parades. The entire town gathers around these figures, experiencing the Carnival as an opportunity for gathering and renewing local traditions.

A Carnival in the shadow of the castle

The setting for the festival is one of the most fascinating places in the Biella area: the Castello dei Vialardi, a fortified complex of medieval origin whose oldest parts date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. The masks parade through the village streets until they reach the castle, where a fun mask hunt takes place and where, at noon, the traditional bean stew—a signature dish of Piedmontese carnivals—is prepared and offered to the public in the manor's courtyard.

Festival traditions

The Verrone Carnival program intertwines institutional and popular moments:

• the handing over of the keys to the town, a symbolic ritual that officially opens the festivities;
• the Carnival dinner, a convivial occasion for the community;
• the mask hunt at the castle, a themed game for adults and children;
• the mask parade in the square and through the village streets;
• the midday bean stew, a tasty gastronomic tradition;
• the children's carnival at the oratory, with games, costumes, and typical sweets.

A festival for the whole community

More than just an event, the Verrone Carnival is a moment of cohesion that unites different generations and keeps a deeply rooted local tradition alive. Between hearty beans, confetti, costumes, and the inevitable presence of the Fungiun and the Fungiuna, the festival represents an authentic slice of popular culture in the Lower Biella area and an opportunity to discover a village rich in history at the foot of the Piedmontese Alps.