EN IT

The Carnevà of Grandola ed Uniti

Grandola ed Uniti Carnival has always been a cherished tradition, characterized by parades of artistic floats and masks. The Sanagra Valley Ecomuseum enhances its memory with a collection of photos and memorabilia from the historic editions of the 1950s, testifying to the village's postwar identity and rebirth.

The carnival (Carnival) of Grandola ed Uniti is a much-loved event in the local community. Every year groups of enthusiasts regularly participate in the traditional parade through village streets, an event that attracts large numbers of visitors from all neighboring towns.

Protagonists are the traditional carts, different in each edition, designed and created by various groups in the preceding months. Creativity and ingenuity are never lacking, and those who attend the parades are confronted with true works of art made of wood, papier-mâché, paper and cardboard, along with the masked procession that flanks and follows each float.

The Sanagra Valley Ecomuseum is aware of the affective importance of the event within the local context and, thanks to the initiative and work of some members of the local community, a collection of images of Grandola's early participation in the parades carnival, from the first one in 1953 until the one in 1959, which closed the 1950s.

The pictures were provided directly by members of the community: the country's grandparents, or their children and grandchildren. In addition, splendid and unique heirlooms have been collected, all to recall that unrepeatable season experienced by a country, and a nation, that was finally emerging from poverty and beginning to forget the hardships, tragedies and starvation of the war, to finally look forward to a future of wealth and prosperity.

Here are the themes of the first editions of Carnevà:

1953 - "Here come our people!": the myth of the far west lands in the Sanagra Valley
1954 - "The Tour of Italy": a celebration of the true national sport of the time
1955 - "The Chinese Mushroom"" A miraculous medicine: the first real float, inspired by the Viareggio carnival tradition
1956 - "Zampanò has arrived.": a parody of Fellini's famous film "La Strada," which was freshly awarded an Oscar.
1958 - "Move Tonio!": Accompanied by the song "Carnival, a madness that all assails us," the float reaches dimensions and cures never before touched
1959 - "The Sputnik": space race also comes to Grandola and Uniti