TOURISM. GRAND CREMASCO CARNIVAL, THE 37TH EDITION PRESENTED AT PIRELLI. MAZZALI “A CREMA IMMERSED IN A FAIRYTALE, I WILL BE THERE”
Sunday 23 February, 2 and 9 March one of the most important and popular carnivals
of Lombardy. A tourist attraction that exceeds 20 thousand visitors every Sunday
From Stefano Passaquindici
Milan, 8 January. A historical tradition that has its roots in the period in which the city of Crema was under the dominion of the Serenissima. A ‘mix’ of passion, creativity, craftsmanship and a lot of generosity. About twenty volunteers work in summer and winter, in the heat or in the cold, in the evenings and on weekends, to offer a unique and grandiose event. Allegorical, themed floats that parade through the city center and enchant with their majesty and beauty. A tourist attraction that exceeds 20 thousand visitors every Sunday, coming from Lombardy and all the regions of Italy. This and more is the Grand Crema Carnival, now in its 37th edition, presented today at Palazzo Pirelli.
“The Cremasco Carnival – he declared Barbara Mazzali, Councilor for Tourism, Fashion-Design and Territorial Marketing of the Lombardy Region – is one of those events that, every year, manage to renew the soul of our traditions, transforming them into a lively celebration, capable of exciting and involving a large audience. It is not just a symbol of Crema, but an event that belongs to the whole of Lombardy and which best illustrates our ability to combine history, creativity and participation. Every float, every mask and every detail handcrafted by volunteers reminds us how extraordinary our culture is: a precious heritage that we not only preserve, but that we are able to reinvent every year with new vitality. And then there is the atmosphere of the Carnival: the colours, the music, the joy that can be felt in the streets of Crema are a true spectacle, capable of fascinating not only those who live here, but also those who come from far away. As the Lombardy Region, we deeply believe in the value of events like this, which are not only an opportunity to attract tourism, but also a moment to raise awareness of and enhance typical products, historical heritage and local traditions. The Cremasco Carnival is a piece of our past that continues to speak to the present, making us feel proud of who we are. A sincere thank you to the mayor Fabio Bergamaschi and to all those who, with passion and dedication, work to make this magic possible. Each edition of the Cremasco Carnival is not just an event, but a celebration of the heart, which represents our Lombardy in its most authentic and joyful face. I will be in Crema on February 23rd for the first parade dedicated to allegorical floats.”
A joyful event, a festive and light-hearted atmosphere that invades the city; an atmosphere of confetti, colors, music and dance; unforgettable days imprinted in the memories of the children and all participants, made possible by the work of around a hundred volunteers, who for a year dedicate their time to building a “Great folklore festival”.
“It’s an honor to be in the region for the conference,” he said Eugenio Pisati, the President of the Cremasco Odv Carnival -.Carnival is a state of mind, it is a passion, it is a sharing of space and time that the volunteers dedicate to the creation of the floats, dedicating almost every weekend of the year to give the city of Crema a unique event , which is now an excellence. The Crema Carnival also stands out at a regional level with a large presence of tourists even from outside the region. We have been organizing the Carnival for exactly 40 years even though it is the 37th edition due to interruption due to COVID.”
“The spirit and magic of the Cremasco Carnival – he continues the mayor of Crema, Fabio Bergamaschi – they were able to go beyond the borders of Crema, conquering Lombardy and beyond. Thanks to the generosity of the volunteers, who put their heart and passion into it, the appointment with the joy of Carnival has become a tradition for the city, now in its 37th edition. The parades of allegorical floats, the markets, the gathering of campers, the historical places that come to life, have over time made the city increasingly attractive for visitors who remain enchanted by it”.
“The Great Crema Carnival – is the comment of Giorgio Cardile, Councilor for Culture and Tourism of the Municipality of Crema – its allegorical floats and folk groups represents in all respects one of the main carnivals in Lombardy. With the three parades and Sunday in Piazza Duomo we are preparing to experience a month in which fun and tradition come together, making adults and children, residents and tourists discover the city from a different perspective.”
The Cremasco Carnival – by Franco Bordo, Councilor for Commerce of the Municipality of Crema, – as well as being a traditional initiative in which the Crema community recognizes and identifies itself, represents an opportunity capable of offering benefits to the local economy in terms of content, characteristics, attractiveness and implications in terms of growth, commercial opportunities and enhancement of the local community. It is an event which, in a period of the year, is particularly critical for commercial activities, helps to promote trade and economic activities in the area and acts as a sounding board for all the other initiatives which during the course of the year have as their objective the attractiveness and welcoming of the City of Crema”.
“This year too,” he commented the President of the Pro Loco Vincenzo Cappelli – as for several decades now, the city of Crema, thanks to the commitment of the extraordinary team of volunteers of the Cremasco Carnival, is preparing to offer, to the thousands of participants, the spectacular parades of the large allegorical floats which will cheer and will not fail to make people live a day of carefreeness and joy for adults and children. Crema will offer itself, with all its beauties, highly appreciated by all, and which, for many historical, cultural and ancient tradition reasons, recall a past time of Venetian domination and tradition”.
THE PROGRAM OF THE GREAT CREMA CARNIVAL
The first Sunday, February 16th, “Waiting for the Carnival”: free event in Piazza Duomo with street artists, music, dancing, masks of Disney characters. Sundays 23 February – 2 March – 9 March: traditional masked course with allegorical floats and proclamation of the winning float.
The history of the Cremasco Carnival
The Grand Crema Carnival is a historical festival and the first traces date back to the 15th century when the city of Crema was under the dominion of Venice, the Serenissima. Carnival was an event that attracted many people from all over the area. After the Second World War, the golden period of the carnival season took place in the 1950s. Thanks to the “Pro Crema” committee in 1953, the Cremasco Carnival revived and grew, managing to involve the entire community and taking on regional dimensions (up to 50,000 people attended).
Today the Grand Cremasco Carnival is organized by the Cremasco Carnival ODV, (volunteer organization) and, thanks to the great work of the volunteers and the collaboration of the municipal administration, Crema can boast the largest and most participated Carnival in Lombardy, with an extraordinary spin-off for the territory.
The symbolic mask of the Crema Carnival: “al Gagèt còl sò Uchèt”
On the occasion of the Cremasco Carnival of 1955, the competition for the choice of the typical Cremasco mask was launched. Paolo Risari, owner of the trattoria degli Angeli in Via Mazzini, known as Curt Granda, wins with the mask “dal Gagèt còl sò Uchèt”.
Since then this character has become the very emblem of the Crema Carnival and always ritually opens the parade.
Since then this character has become the very emblem of the Crema Carnival and always ritually opens the parade. The citizens ironically called “gagi” those farmers who periodically appeared at the market with the curbèla and the goose. The Gagèt is distinguished by the black dress, scapat, usually the wedding one, worn on special occasions. He wears eye-catching stockings and a red-white cockade, the colors of the city. He wears a hat on his head, wooden clogs and a handkerchief around his neck, according to the strictest peasant tradition. A touch of elegance to this clothing, undoubtedly out of place, is given by the white gloves and the gianèta (stick). Gagèt’s comedy relies on his circumspect manner, his not very casual gait and the discomfort caused by feeling like a fish out of water in the city, because he is used to the daily routine of the farm, the world where he usually lives.
The Large Allegorical Floats
On the Sundays dedicated to the Great Crema Carnival, large themed allegorical floats parade along the streets of the city centre, in competition with each other. On the last Sunday the winning float is awarded, decreed by the vote of a popular jury, not from Crema.
The allegorical floats, made of papier-mâché, are the result of the painstaking work of the volunteers who, in their free time, engage in the artisanal preparation of the floats and costumes.
Every year the floats offer a message, food for thought while maintaining the fun atmosphere, drawing inspiration from current events. This year the themes are inspired by artificial intelligence, multiculturalism and integration between people of different ethnic groups, climate change, brain drain…
In addition to the 5 allegorical floats, two external, smaller, second category floats that do not participate in the competition will parade. They come from Casazza (Bg) and Erbusco (Bs)
Tourist attractiveness and strong cultural identity that transcends borders
The secret of the success of the Crema Carnival is the concentration of different cultures that are expressed: samba and the rhythms of the music of San Paolo in Brazil coexist alongside the traditional Crema mask, the Gagèt col so Uchèt; the Piedmontese flag-wavers, alongside the Venetian masks; everything mixes and is possible at Carnival, in the name of pranks, fun and joy.
The folk groups that animate the event and parade along the city circuit come from all over Italy and all over the world. The local culture and city traditions open up and are contaminated by the different cultures of the Bel Paese and the world.
The growing popularity of the Gran Carnivale Cremasco is demonstrated by the presence of tourists who visit Crema specifically for the event. The Cremasco Carnival attracts, among paying guests in the city circuit and related activities, which includes visits to the city and the markets, at least 20 thousand visitors every Sunday of the event. Among the objectives of the Crema Carnival there is also that of encouraging visits to the city and the territory, its historical monuments and places of culture, as well as allowing visitors and tourists to learn about and purchase typical local products in the “Carnival Markets”. ”, organized in the main square of Crema, in conjunction with the allegorical parades. Furthermore, every year Crema, on the occasion of the Carnival celebrations, hosts the Camperisti Gathering, in collaboration with “3C Camper Club Crema”. The campers, coming from all over Italy, meet in the equipped area in via Giacomo Crespi. Collaboration with local schools
To pass on the carnival tradition to the new generations and not lose the rich historical and artisanal heritage, “Papier-mâché courses” have been introduced in the primary schools of the city of Crema. Master craftsmen teach the manual techniques to create the papier-mâché masks that can be seen parading along the city circuit inside allegorical floats. The volunteers of the Cremasco Carnival are also involved in the projects and summer courses that the Municipality and the schools organize during the summer. The Cremasco Carnival workshops are part of the package of summer camps proposed to enrich the training offer in the city.
Furthermore, every year the Gran Carnivale Cremasco collaborates with various educational institutions. The School-Work alternation, now called PCTO, is an opportunity offered to high school students in Crema who strengthen their skills by participating in the event.