In Italy, the most famous Carnival is mainly that of Venice, followed by those of Viareggio and Ivrea, but our Friuli Venezia Giulia region also boasts a great variety and richness of Carnival traditions. Today, we want to focus – among many others – on the one in Trieste, where Carnival is taken very seriously; in fact, each district has its own schedule of masquerade parades involving schools, recreation centers (a local institution that serves as an after-school facility for play, socializing, and homework help for children and teenagers), and local associations. This year, the festivities were kicked off by the San Giacomo district on February 27th, but each neighborhood has its own colorful traditions, from Valmaura to Roiano, from Borgo San Sergio to Barriera Vecchia.

The main protagonist is the Servola district, the cradle of the Trieste Carnival: here, as per the centuries-old tradition, inns, bars, and clubs remain open to offer music, hospitality, and refreshments at special prices for the masked participants. The “corso delle serve” (the servant’s parade) is a traditional procession involving wet nurses and children, while the end of the festive period is marked by the Funeral of Carnival, scheduled for Ash Wednesday.

The delicacies that dominate these festive days are the frittole, soft fritters enriched with raisins and pine nuts, served hot and dusted with granulated sugar. These are a variation of the Venetian fritters, which date back to the second half of the 14th century. Crostoli, thin fried and crispy sheets, are the local interpretation of chiacchiere or frappe, which are widespread throughout Italy.

A few kilometers away from the city center, the Kraški Pust (Karst Carnival) invades the plateau; in Opicina, in particular, Carnival Saturday is dedicated to the parade of allegorical floats, with masked groups competing for the title of best costume among music and wild dancing. Here, traditionally, instead of sweet fritters, they eat frittole con l’anima (“Fancli z duso”), filled with salted anchovies according to the original recipe from Contovello.

For everyone, the climax in the city is the mask parade held on Fat Tuesday with the traditional Corso Mascherato, which concludes in Piazza Unità d’Italia, where the party continues with a grand finale of pranks, dancing, and confetti.