The Historic Carnival of Offida covers the lapse of time between 17^th January and the first day of Lent and is characterized by a triumph of traditions that make the event of this village, that is part of the Club of The most Beautiful Villages of Italy, a uniqueexperience. The Carnival of Offida, which origins date back to the mid-eighteenth Century, is featured by some very exciting moments such as the representation of the hunting of "lu bov fint" on the first Friday of Carnival, in which a shape of an ox being led by men covered with a white cloth with red stripes, called "lu guazzarò" and dating back to the tradition of rural work, runs through the streets of the village. Now an equally important and rich tradition is the procession of the "Vlurd" which takes place on the evening of Shrove Tuesday when long fiery bundles of reeds are taken along the streets and thrown in the square for the final bonfire symbol of the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent. Characteristic is also the “Veglionissimi” which take place in the splendid setting of the Serpente Aureo Theatre (Golden Snake Theatre). A fundamental role is played by the Congreghe (congregations), typical masked groups that, to the sound of their brass-bands, give birth to propitiatory farces mostly focused on the themes of virility and fertility. For the occasion, tourists and people from neighboring villages come to Offida not to be spectator of parades of great floats but to be involved in a true celebration of the people where, laying aside any rule or social convention, it is a must to have fun playing as actors of symbolic representations of great value in force and instinct.

Being linked to the traditions of Ascoli Piceno, Castignano and Pozza-Umito, the Carnival of Offida represents one of the most important events of the year in the entire Piceno territory.

For more information: http://www.turismoffida.com/carnevale-storico-offidano.html

The 2016 program can be seen on: http://www.inoffida.it/carnevale_offidano_003.html