CENTO CARNEVALE D’EUROPA: THE HISTORY

INTRODUCTION: THE CARNIVAL OF CENTO AS A COLLETCIVE RITUAL

The Carnival of Cento offers an interesting view from a social perspective, as it is rightfully among the city’s collective rites. It is considered one of the most complex cultural events as it brings together symbolic representations with multiple meanings and realities, all created by the participants, the protagonists of this spectacle. The main stage of the carnival is the city itself with its streets, including the main square ‘Piazza Guercino’, the nerve centre of Cento. Every year, the citizens (centesi) repeat this social ritual, interweaving carnival tradition and innovation, and foreigners from all over the country willingly participate in this ritual, bonding with the city and living a dream experience.

THE “CARNEVALE DI CENTO” AND ITS HISTORY

The Carnival of Cento is constantly mentioned in national newspapers and social media as one of the most popular and not-to-be-missed event in Italy during the first months of the year. The Carnival is strictly bonded to its land and community who happily support it, and contributes with the positive realization of the entire show. The Carnival of Cento, officially recognized by the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC) as Historical Carnival, witnesses its passion since ‘500 when the goliardic festivities coincided with the “Berlingaccio Festival”: people dressed up in costumes filled the streets to rejoice and celebrate the “Shrove Thursday” (last Thursday before Lent). This tradition has been held up to 1866. Between ‘500 and ‘600 the ardour of the citizens was so strong that the Literary Academies were also involved in this local ritual. In the early beginning of ‘600 the local painter Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, also known as the “Guercino” (1591-1666) iconographically documented carnival ceremonies through his frescoes, commissioned for Casa Panini: the main square crowded with musicians and masked characters, the Shrove Thursday ball in the Consular Palace and a tournament of knights on the street leading to Porta Molina. Between 1629 and 1631 the Carnival suffers a setback caused by the devastating epidemics and famines. However in 1632 the city returns back with its traditions that “(..) danno diletto e piacere non solo alli Terrieri, ma anco a’ forestieri” literally: the carnival ritual gives pleasure both to locals and foreigners. The allegorical floats as we know them today, take place in 1870, when the first parade is set with floats and enormous papier-mâché characters, thanks to the organization of the “Società Carnevalesca Progresso”.

THE MASK OF CENTO: TASI

At the beginning of ‘900 the “centesi” introduce the King of the Carnival: Tasi. This character takes the inspiration from a farmer of the time, Luigi Tasini, a short man with blonde hair. Tasi, an ingenious builder of “mechanical things”, a great speaker “of all the languages that his imagination could suggest to him, and usually in Italian” , he replaced his shrewish wife Luigia with a fox from which he is never separated and which he keeps tied to himself with a chain. The tradition teaches that at the end of the Carnival, before his papier-mâché figure is set on fire, Tasi’s will is read out loud: he will leave his goods to the City and to whom will deserve them and will shame who behaved badly during the year.

THE CARNIVAL OF CENTO: BETWEEN ENTHUSIASM AND MADNESS

In the early years of ‘900 we have the first evidences of the modern allegorical floats, carried first by oxen, then by tractors. After the Second World War, in 1947 the Carnival returns: the citizens want to say goodbye to wars and sadness and welcome the Carnival of Peace. Old and young fellows repopulated the streets of the city, with music, screams of joy and colours. “A Cento vennero ripresi i corsi mascherati (…). In sordina vennero allestiti i carri allegorici; (…) Ed una domenica di Febbraio del 1947 la città impazzì: le austere case di Cento si riaprirono, imbandite ed infiorate, pronte a fare da scenario festoso al carnevale della pace. L’antico centro si rianimò improvvisamente di colori, di suoni, di grida gioiose di grandi e bambini. I carri avanzavano, col loro incedere lento e maestoso, dalla Rocca verso la piazza fra ali di folla entusiasta.” Pretty soon the Carnival will transform, between enthusiasm and madness of the visitors, into a competition between the carnival associations for the most iconic and representative allegorical float. Rules and an official calendar  were established, to underline the support of both people and institutions . In the early ‘60s the Pro Loco (pro site) takes the burden of organizing the Carnival and gives to the Carnival Associations a proper site to use to create the figures of papier-mâché: the hangars. The giant figures made of papier-mâché keep being manufactured by papier-mâché master, who every year voluntarily spend their time and passion from a Carnival to another, to innovate, project and create the allegorical floats and their mechanical movements. The extraordinary, imposing and colourful self-propelled figures, preceded by crowds in colourful costumes, pulled by powerful tractors ,parade past the buildings lining the narrow streets of the old town: from Piazzale Bonzagni to Rocca Castle, passing through Corso Guercino and the main square, Piazza Guercino.

THE “GETTITO”, GIFTS FROM THE SKY: A PRESENT – DAY TRADITION

One of the most popular and loved characteristic of the Carnival of Cento is the “gettito” during the parade: it’s the throw of fluffy toys, lifebuoys and air mattresses from the towers of the floats. The parade reaches its climax in Guercino square where, in front of the jury will “rain down from the sky the “gettito”. At the end of 5 Sundays, the Jury itself will declare the winner choosing between the Carnival Associations. With the modernization of the Carnival, “the Gettito” is modernized as well: first with the thrown of candies and sweets in large quantities, then with the addition of complex objects as dolls, fluffy toys, football balls and dools. Antonio Casanova, one of the most important figures of Carnival and Pro Site, during an interview explained the importance of the gettito: 30% of the costs of the Carnival Associations are for toys and candies. The citizens are really fond to this tradition because they believe they invented it. The gettito is the gratification for all the people who support the carnival and also the “privates” throw objects and candies from their windows. When it comes to “gettito”, nobody spares any expense. Quite similar but a bit ironic, another article describes the relation between Gettito, parade and public, the greatness of the allegorical float stands out among the narrow streets of the centre. People dance on it, sing and play songs, throw candies, balls, dolls, cakes and baking powder, so everyone can make their own cake at home. This is Italy, Italy with simple and genuine tastes. “Il carro avanza raso muro, oscurando i portici, impuntandosi contro i balconi con le sue propaggini di cartapesta. Sopra ballano, suonano, lanciano caramelle, palloni, bambole, panettoni e bustine di lievito perchè così uno si possa preparare a casa il dolce che vuole. […] E la gente ci sta […]. È l’Italia fuori di porta; un’Italia dai gusti più semplici, dagli entusiasmi più facili. Questa è roba fina, sento dire da un ragazzotto che trascina la ragazza in prima fila, questa è roba estera. Sul tappeto di coriandoli stanno sgambettando volonterosamente le majorettes, una ventina di chepì sovrastanti, gambe, seni e facciozze piene di salute che più emiliane di così potrebbero essere soltanto romagnole. Ma è il sogno che conta.”

THE GOLIARDIC FUNERALS

Over the years, the main aim of the events of Cento was to project the communicative message to the outside, with an understandable touristic purpose. The Carnival of Cento is one of the main collective rituals of the city. Every year the plot is the same: the allegorical parade, proclamation of the winner, reading of the will of Tasi and the burning of his mask. Once we have passed the last Sunday, the winner is going to organize the “goliardic funeral” for the other associations. The funerals, celebrated by the winning associations for the defeated ones, is a reappropriation of the ancient rituals of the carnival. The main aim of these funerals are goliardic pranks, they do not stick together with the carnival traditions, they become a goliardic phenomenon where transgression take centre stage. The ceremonials follow the traditional plot: after posting the funeral announcement, the processional procession with coffin makes its way from the Rocca to Piazza Guercino, with a tombstone for all the carnival associations. Mourning population with weeping, veiled and black-clad women are not to be missed. The funeral parade is punctuated by readings in dialect (zirudella) that spares no one. The citizens take part in this celebration, enjoying the sometimes biting satire, while the losers have to put on a good face, promising to give back the following year.

THE REVOLUTION OF THE CARNIVAL 

At the end of the 80s, the Carnival of Cento assumes the profile of an international event. The organization needs to be updated and a strategy needs to be adopted, guided by a professional chief. In 1990 the City Council, knowing the powerful touristic potential of this event, decides to entrust the management of the Carnival to a local entrepreneur, Ivano Manservisi, “Patron” of Carnival, who transforms the kermesse registering the trade mark in Cento Carnevale d’Europa. This change of route is fundamental for the growth of the event. From 2014 the Artistic direction of the Cento Carnevale d’Europa is led by Riccardo Manservisi, who thanks to his skills and his being visionary, was able, and is still able to maintain the tradition of the event through a contemporary perspective.