152th Historic Carnival of San Giovanni in Persiceto
Updated on 05 February 2025 From Davide Sarti
The Historic Persiceto Carnival, with its spilli – not merely carnival floats, but true scenic and narrative machines – is one of the oldest and most original events in the Bologna area.
Discover the history and the 2026 dates of the San Giovanni in Persiceto Carnival
The origins of the Carnival and its special floats
The San Giovanni in Persiceto Carnival officially began on 15 February 1874, when the Bertoldo Society, which brought together the local carnival associations, organized for the first time a parade of allegorical floats through the streets of San Giovanni in Persiceto. Today, after 152 years of history, the Carnival continues to attract thousands of visitors every year, offering a unique spectacle where art, satire, and theatre come together in a great collective celebration. A distinctive feature of the event is the allegorical floats, known as spilli. These are imposing handcrafted scenic structures that, once they reach Piazza del Popolo, transform: panels open, characters emerge, parts rotate and change shape, lights and movements are perfectly synchronized… this mechanism makes the Persiceto Carnival a truly unique and spectacular event!
King Bertoldo, the mask of the San Giovanni in Persiceto Carnival
In San Giovanni in Persiceto, the parade features more than just the traditional masks of the Commedia dell’Arte. The undisputed protagonist is King Bertoldo, inspired by the famous popular character created by Giulio Cesare Croce in the seventeenth century. A farmer “with big shoes and a sharp mind,” Bertoldo embodies the wit, playfulness, and convivial spirit of local tradition. Each year, King Bertoldo officially opens the Carnival with the Discourse of the Crown, a zirudèla in the Bolognese dialect, through which he wryly and irreverently comments on the events of the past year.
The floats competition and the awards ceremony
The floats parade on the first Sunday of Carnival as far as Piazza del Popolo, where the spectacular transformation takes place. A secret jury evaluates each float according to three criteria:
- architecture and construction
- painting and sculpture
- theme and development
The second Sunday is dedicated to the awards ceremony. Each society taking part in the competition is presented with a flag: the banners range from black, awarded to the last-ranked society, to white, reserved for the winning society. In addition to the white banner, the winners are also awarded the Gonfalon of King Bertoldo, a large ceremonial banner that is kept for an entire year by the winning society.
The 2026 Dates of the Historic San Giovanni in Persiceto Carnival
From Friday 6 February to Monday 16 February, the Historic Persiceto Carnival brings San Giovanni in Persiceto to life with a rich calendar of events: street performances, DJ sets, a photography exhibition, street food, creative markets, guided tours, cosplay competitions, and much more. However, the two key dates of the event, when visitors can witness the transformation of the spilli, are:
- Sunday 8 February: procession of King Bertoldo’s Court and first parade of the "spilli" floats with the performance
- Sunday 15 February: second parade of the spilli and awards ceremony
The full programme, with all events taking place during this period, can be consulted on the event’s official website.
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Lover of storytelling and of walks along trails that fade into the horizon. I've been writing for bolognawelcome.com since 2021.
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