The Carnival of Satriano di Lucania is one of Italy’s many regional festivals. Held on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday leading to Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent, the festival has been running for centuries.

The origins of the Festival are largely unknown however, it is thought it may date back to the historical destruction of the ancient town Satrianum. Following the raping of an aristocratic girl (and protegee of the queen) by young men wearing goatskins, Queen Joanna II of Anjou-Durazzo. Today, locals dress in one of three symbols depicting the crime. Representing the men in goat skins are people dressed bears. The consequences of their actions, the disillusion of the town and poverty for its people, are represented by the hermits. Finally, women dressed as widows represent the sadness of the events. Over time, however, the symbolic meanings have changed.

The Bears

The bears now represent prosperity, good fortune and success. They travel with a pastor in traditional clothes, whose job it is to ensure they do not cause trouble. The bears are early citizens who migrated to distant lands and found success, acquiring items of wealth such as leather.  

The Hermit

The hermit is a symbol of the poverty experienced by those who lived in the city. They come from the forests and rub branches over the doors of locals bringing hope for the spring. In return, they may receive a coin. He is a symbol of someone who has remained faithful in the earth despite his poverty.  

The lent

The lent, or women in mourning, are individuals dressed in black mourning clothes with painted faces and a cradle on their head. The father of the child is unknown. They represent the difficulty of widowed women face.  

The walking forest

As part of the yearly celebration, there are street vendors and lots of music. On Saturday, a large parade of people in costumes weave their way through the city. There is also a wedding procession following this. During the procession, men wear dresses and women wear suits. Finally, on Sunday, 131 hermits walk through the street to herald spring. Each hermit represents a place in the region and collectively they are known as the Walking Forest.

Ecological Message

In recent years the walking forest has been used to help promote ecological messages. All the floats in the parades across the weekend are pulled using non-motorised vehicles to reduce carbon output. Each year more trees are planted to help offset the emissions caused by people travelling to the city for the festival. Across the carnival, several environmentally friendly practices have been adopted. These changes include the banning of all disposable tableware, encouraging of recycling and the use of local seasonal produce.

If you are ever in the region, be sure to attend this fantastically wacky festival.

Talia Goulding is an experienced travel blogger based in Sydney. Talia is the owner at No Plane Old Holiday.

Follow Talia