Volturara Carnival - The Zeza of I Tarantellanti

The Volturara Zeza, the Carnival of "I Tarantellanti"

In Volturara Irpina, a town of just under three thousand inhabitants nestled 620 meters high in the Picentini Mountains, in the province of Avellino (Campania), Carnival is measured not in floats, but in steps of the tarantella. The heart of the festival is the Volturara Zeza, a sung comedy that the community has brought to the streets since 1865. Today, it is performed by the "I Tarantellanti" company: men and women of all ages who parade and dance through the streets of the town and the surrounding Irpinia villages.

What is a Zeza?

The Zeza descends from the Neapolitan Canzone di Zeza, a popular, grotesque farce that emerged in the mid-17th century and spread across the Campanian hinterland, where each community adapted it. The plot is almost always the same: Pulcinella, a jealous father, opposes his daughter Vincenzella's wedding; his wife Zeza, an enterprising and cunning woman, has already arranged the marriage with Don Nicola—a wealthy schoolmaster in the Volturara version—and wears her husband down until the final reconciliation. In the Volturara variant, the story becomes a portrait of a rural, pastoral town: the poverty of the past and marriage viewed as a hope for redemption. It is not stage theater, but a comedy in verse sung to tarantella music, accompanied by accordions, tambourines, castanets, and the triccheballacche, always concluding with a dance.

Two Zezas become one company

For decades, Volturara Irpina had two rival teams: the Zeza di Cannone and the Zeza di Campagna, which challenged each other every Carnival with costumes, songs, and choreography. In 2017, the two historic groups decided to merge into a single company, "I Tarantellanti," which has represented the entire town ever since. In a mountain town facing progressive depopulation, joining forces was the most practical way to keep the tradition alive in the streets.

The Children's Carnival

Alongside the adult Zeza, the Pro Loco of Volturara Irpina organizes the Children's Carnival, an afternoon dedicated to kids and families. It starts in Piazza Roma, where masked children dance and parade with the Tarantellati, and moves to the municipal gym on Viale Rimembranza—formerly the "Antonio Risoli" tent structure—where the party continues indoors with music, games, entertainment, and a buffet, amidst confetti and homemade costumes. It is the moment when tradition is passed down: children learn the steps by watching the adults.

When the Zeza leaves town

The Volturara Zeza does not stay within municipal borders. During the Carnival weeks, "I Tarantellanti" are guests in other Irpinia towns—such as Montoro, Atripalda, and Castelvetere sul Calore—and participate in the Irpinia Carnival Parade in Avellino, a festival in Piazza del Popolo that brings together the Zezas of Bellizzi, Capriglia Irpina, Cesinali, Mercogliano, and Monteforte Irpino, the ballo 'ntreccio of Petruro di Forino and Montoro, the laccio d'amore of Marzano di Nola, and the Scquaqualacchiun of Teora.

Volturara Irpina and the Piana del Dragone

The town overlooks the Piana del Dragone, a karst basin that floods and drains through sinkholes locally known as the "dragon's mouths." Above the town, on Mount Sant'Angelo, lie the ruins of the Norman-Aragonese castle of San Michele. In Piazza Roma, the heart of the festival, you will find the ancient linden tree, the historic fountain, and the church of San Nicola di Bari with its 1754 leaning bell tower. Visitors during Carnival can pair the parade with the products that make the town famous: the fagiolo quarantino (a Slow Food Presidium bean), local cheeses, honey, and chestnuts from the Terminio plateau.

What to expect

• A traditional folk Carnival, not one of floats: singing, tarantella, and costumes sewn in town.
• Free admission to all events, which take place in the streets and municipal facilities.
• Mobile dates, tied to the liturgical calendar: between February and March depending on the year.
• Winter mountain climate: at 620 meters, a heavy jacket and comfortable shoes are necessary.
• The detailed program is released by the Pro Loco and the Municipality in the days prior, via social media channels and the Sistema Irpinia portal of the Province of Avellino.