The Putignano Carnival is the oldest in Europe and it reached its 626th edition in 2020. Furthermore, it became so popular that a summer edition has been established.

In this article you will discover the history and traditions of the Putignano Carnival, which will amaze you with its colors and masks.

History

Origin

In 1934, on the Apulian coast, Saracens tried to occupy cities and loot them. The Knights of Malta, who were ruling at the time, decided to transfer from the coast everything that was considered precious, in particular the St. Stephen’s relics, that were kept in Monopoli. So, they decided to move them to the hinterland, as it was safer, and they chose Putignano. On December 26th, 1394, the relics were transported to Putignano and set in the Church of Santa Maria Greca, where they’re still kept nowadays. From this moment, history and legend started to mix: according to tradition, when the relics arrived in Putignano, the farmers were working in vineyards with the offshoot (propaggine) technique, from which the celebration takes the name. In fact, while the relics were passing, farmers stopped working and started following the procession with dances and songs. So, this moment is seen by historians as the transition of Christianization of Carnival: the Dionysus rites dating back to Magna Graecia were absorbing a Christian connotation.

Evolution

Subsequently, at the beginning of the XX century, the celebration started to assume the shape we see nowadays: the puppets originally made with straws and rags were replaced by others in steel and paper. Those are also the years when Putignano Carnival becomes famous, attracting visitors from all over Italy.

The celebration

The period of Carnival in Putignano starts on December 26th, the day of “Festa delle Propaggini” and ends with Mardi Gras, which declares the beginning of Lent. During this time, many celebrations take place and shape the face of the Putignano Carnival.

La Festa delle Propaggini

Festa delle Propaggini takes place on December 26th, and it opens the door to the Carnival season. This celebration mixes sacred and profane: on one hand, there is the religious nature of the occasion going back to St. Stephen’s relics, on the other hand, there is the satire of the rites of Dionysus. In fact, there is a stage on which groups of poets dressed as farmers talk in dialect about the past year, doing a satire on important political characters of the city and of Italy. In fact, those people, when they alternate on the stage, they bring a “Ceppone”, which is the symbol of the celebration and it carries a particular meaning: on one hand, it symbolizes the grapevine, on the other, it represents the male genital organ. At the end of all speeches, the winner is announced, taking into consideration their use of dialect, the respect for tradition, and the lyrics.

The central role of Thursdays in the Putignano Carnival

Starting from January 17th, the day of Sant’Antonio Abate, Thursday acquires an important position. Originally, during this day there were masquerade ballads and big banquets, but nowadays this day is dedicated to satire. Every Thursday, specific groups of people are mocked, such as nuns, priests and people who’ve been cheated on (“Cornuti”).

Furthermore, the giovedì dei cornuti (the Thursday dedicated to people who’ve been cheated on) is the most felt one of the Putignano Carnival. During this day, the men from Accademia delle Corna (Academy of Horns) walk along the city while dancing and singing in a parade, also called “Corneo”. Later, they gather to polish their horns and reveal the “cornuto dell’anno” (the betrayed of the year) among the members of the academy. During the evening, the horns are measured and cut, then there is a big banquet based on pork meat in order to celebrate the last Thursday of Carnival.

The last sacrament and the funeral of Carnival

Mardi Gras is the last day of Carnival and it declares its death. So, a group of men dressed as priests give the last sacrament to Carnival, whose funeral is celebrated in the afternoon. A fake funeral is celebrated, as a fake pig made with cardboard is burned and turned into ashes, anticipating the Ash Wednesday: Lent has arrived.

You can find further information about it here.

Parade floats and masks

The parade floats

During the Putignano Carnival many parade floats are made and brought around the city center, which is covered in colors and confetti. Certainly, this is a very old tradition, which dates back to the beginning of 1900, when parade floats were made with straw and patches. Later, they evolved into gigantic parade floats in cardboard and steel. As a result, those parade floats are realized by experts, who work in labs and try to get better results year after year.

You can admire the parade floats of the previous years here.

Farinella

The traditional mask of the Putignano Carnival is Farinella, who takes the name from a traditional dish of the village: the mask is a mix of a Jolly and Arlecchino, it has a colorful vest and a hat with three bells. His peculiarity is represented by his face: sprightly, with a red nose.

So, Farinella is part of the legend of the Putignano Carnival. In the period during which the Saracens were sacking Apulia, the inhabitants of Putignano didn’t know how to deal with the attacks. A baker whose name no one remembered, nicknamed “Farinella”, had an idea that saved the village. The Plague had just passed in Apulia, but Saracens didn’t know that: so the baker made everyone cover their skin with the “farinella”, as to pretend they were ill. When Saracens arrived, fake guards welcomed them telling them that the city had been put into quarantine because of the illness. The attackers believed it and Putignano was safe: Farinella became the city hero and they dedicated a mask to him.

Our homes in Apulia