Historic Carnival Fair of San Giovanni in Persiceto

Where: piazza del Popolo, piazza Garibaldi, parco Pettazzoni and town centre - 40017 San Giovanni in Persiceto (BO)

When: February 8 and 15th 2026

One of the oldest and most famous carnivals in the Bologna area, the Historical Carnival of San Giovanni in Persiceto is held extraordinarily in June, under the witty and desecrating 'sign' of its typical mask, Bertoldo.
Born from the pen of Giulio Cesare Croci in 1600, Bertoldo is the crude but witty peasant protagonist of the opera 'Le sottilissimi astuzie di Bertoldo' (The Subtle Wiles of Bertoldo). The work recounts the adventures of the peasant who, through his wits, manages to land at the court of King Alboino, where he dies for not having been able to eat "beans with onions inside and turnips cooked under the ashes".

In addition to having a centuries-old tradition, this carnival, has its own uniqueness: the Spillo (in Bolognese dialect spél), which means 'transformation'.
During the first Sunday of the masked parades, the floats parade through the centre and once in the central square they perform the spillo: the colourful architectural structures are transformed suddenly and spectacularly, revealing a hidden allegorical meaning.

The carnival floats are entirely built by the local carnival companies, who work tirelessly in their respective workshops in the months leading up to the event, maintaining the strictest secrecy about the theme and features of the creations.

Rich themed food and wine offerings.