Carnevale in Italy: Cento Carnival, near Ferrara

The Carnival of Cento, near Ferrara, has a long tradition; back in the Renaissance it even drew the attention and admiration of such a great painter as Guercino who painted the Berlingaccio, the famous local mask, in one of his magnificent frescoes at Palazzo Comunale where the city council, every year, used to host a great party to celebrate the Carnival, with wine flowing freely and people going wild .

It’s true that the Carnival of Cento (twinned with the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro since 1993) has over the years grown wilder and wilder and now many see it as the most transgressive in Europe.
Last year more than 340,00 people flocked to the city to partake in the Carnival festivities.

This year the Carnival will take place from February to March (8; 15 February; 1-2 March 2009); ticket prices: 15 euros each; reduced ticket: € 11 each (for children under the age of 13 and groups); season ticket € 27