“At Carnival, anything goes”, as the saying goes. In Castelfiorentino, magic will be playing tricks when, on the afternoon of Sunday 22 February, the masked parade begins through the streets and squares of the lower historic centre, with dozens of fantastical characters who, due to some spells gone wrong, find themselves catapulted into contexts very different from their original stories, giving rise to a series of unmissable gags.
The parade will start at 3:00 p.m. in Piazza Kennedy and will wind its way through the streets of the town centre, stopping at four different locations: Via Bovio/Via Volontari del Sangue (Vaso), Piazza Cavour, Via Testaferrata (in front of the Be.Go. Museum) and Piazza Gramsci. At these locations, you will be able to witness some extravagant and somewhat bizarre pairings: Merlin and Maga Magò together with Pinocchio, King Arthur with a rather unlikely magician, Harry Potter with Geppetto, Brucaliffo with Cinderella, the evil Witch of the East with Ursula, and so on.
Once everyone has arrived in Piazza Gramsci, there will be a game involving all participants, a magical reinterpretation of Quidditch (the famous magical sport from Harry Potter) with a few minor inconveniences and “hiccups” along the way. At the end of the game, a “great battle” of confetti will mark the traditional conclusion of the festival. Confetti and streamers will also be available on the tables set up along the route.
“Carnival”, observes Mayor Francesca Giannì, “is certainly one of the most eagerly awaited events for children, who love to dress up and experience the joy of being, for one day, the character they identify with in their imagination. It is also an opportunity to celebrate carefree in the company of parents, uncles, aunts and grandparents, as well as to enliven our town centre together with the associations that collaborate every year in organising the event. I therefore feel it is only right to thank them, in particular the volunteers who have worked hard to make this edition a day of celebration for all citizens”.
The travelling local Carnival, which enjoys the patronage of the Municipality of Castelfiorentino (sponsored by Ente Cambiano Scpa), is promoted by Amici di Castello, Prociv Arci, Avis, Fratres, Auser, the Unicoop members’ section and the CCN Tre Piazze association. As in previous years, the organising committee is launching the appeal “No to gas canisters, yes to confetti and streamers” to protect the environment.
In case of bad weather, the Carnival will be postponed to the following Sunday with the same programme. Any communications and/or real-time updates will be posted on social media.
