The carnival of Acireale a combination of satire, flowers and color

Once again this year the Joker King will hand over the keys of the city allowing Carnival Acireale 2014 to officially begin. This will take place following the opening parade scheduled for 5pm on 15 February. Among the allegorical carriages that will be paraded along the route there will be a spectacle of comic actors entertaining the crowds. They will perform every Sunday following the 15 February and provide lots of fun to whoever wants to have fun for Carnival 2014 in this lovely Sicilian town.

By reserving a B&B Eastern Sicily, you’ll be able to visit one of the most interesting areas in Italy from a landscape and gastronomic point of view and participate in one of the oldest carnivals of Italy.

The first written mention of the Carnival of Acireale goes back to the 16th century. Through the years the event in this city close to Catania has undergone many transformations. Initially it was very similar to the carnival of Ivrea because there was also an orange and lemon fight as in the Piedmont town.

Following the earthquake at the end of 1693 the event was not held for many years. During the 18th century the Manti mask was introduced which included a long black cloak under which the inhabitants of Acireal hid themselves.

In the 19th century the allegorical floats were introduced and in the 1930s the flowered carriages made their appearance (they are usually paraded on mardi gras and this year on 3 March), following the Ligurian tradition.

Political satire, animated cartoons and current events inspire the float teams who work very hard to create self-propelled creatures one of which will win the competition.

For more information on other events in Italy visit  Carnival 2014