A BIT OF HISTORY….
The Massafra Carnival was born from a goliardic joke of 1951. At the time, a group of actors from the Filodrammatica often gathered in a bar during the preparation of a Goldoni show, fantasizing about how to make a carnival joke that would wake up a little the lazy town of Massafra from the ancient torpor that oppressed it. Four of the actors, who formed a fairly close-knit group, decided to challenge the boring city respectability by organizing the joke on the last Sunday of Carnival. So they spread the word that on Sunday there would be a “bullfight, complete with bulls, matadors, picadores, banderilleros!”. With such an announcement, not only the most respectable and lazy citizens were agitated, but also the authorities, from the police to the carabinieri, up to the firefighters, worried about the consequences of something as unusual and dangerous as a bullfight in the square in Massafra , which would obviously take place … at five in the evening! Despite the worries and anxiety, many citizens flocked to the square in Massafra to see what would happen. In fact, all the characters from the bullfight arrived, but they were a bull … made of papier mache, the picadors on horseback … with brooms and the matador … unarmed. All the characters of the bullfight were present, there, to parade, but in a playful and light-hearted version. The joke was so successful and aroused such great enthusiasm that the following year we wanted to try again, to redo a joke in the city. By now, due to the great success of the previous year, there was no longer the surprise effect: however everyone wanted to participate in the joking carnival of Massafra, and from there began to be bigger and more beautiful floats, prizes and masquerades, sponsored by clubs and city bodies. The current magnificence of the carnival has also given rise to small local and neighborhood feuds, but this only encourages the run-up to the most beautiful float, the biggest joke, the funniest mask.
In 2019 the 66th edition of the Massafra Carnival is celebrated, which this year returns to the old city path of Corso Roma with the floats that will parade on Saturday 2 and Tuesday 5 March, while the parades dedicated to schools and allegorical groups will be held at the Sunday morning 24 February and 3 March.
Schedules and program.
Sunday 24 February 2019 in the morning parade of Comprehensive Institutes, Higher Institutes, Allegorical and Masked Groups.
Saturday 2 March 2019 Parade of allegorical floats in Corso Roma. Rossella Brescia, Peppe Iodice and Nicola Calia will be the super guests at the masked evening course.
Sunday 3 March 2019 in the morning parade of Comprehensive Institutes, Higher Institutes, Allegorical and Masked Groups; in the evening party with DJ Marvin and Andrea Prezioso.
Tuesday 5 March 2019 Parade of allegorical floats in Corso Roma. Uccio De Santis will be the super guest at the Masked Course.