Luciese Carnival
Description

Luciese Carnival

    Property included in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily (REIS)

 

 

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Technical sheet prepared by: Region of Sicily - Department of cultural heritage and Sicilian identity - CRicd: Regional center for inventory, cataloging and documentation and Sicilian regional film library

No. Prog.
194
Bene
Luciese Carnival
Book
REIS - Book of Celebrations, Festivals and Ritual Practices
Approval date
18-02-2015
Category
Party
Province
Messina
Location
 
Common
Saint Lucia del Mela
Local denomination
U Catalettu
Chronological News
The re-enactment of U Catalettu which dates back to 1585 thanks to historical sources. At the center of the scene is the symbolic death of Carnival which in tradition was accused of gluttony and greed so much as to die. After the Second World War, this rite represented an important moment in the Luciese festive calendar, also for the anthropological value which, in an age of austerity, allowed freedom and excesses otherwise prohibited. The practice of the party was abandoned around the 60s and returned to the squares in 900. The name of the party derives from the particular fercolo used, a staircase supported by hooded men, the babaluci.
recurrence
Annual
Data
About 40 days before Easter
opportunity
Carnascalesca, preparatory to the penitential period of Ashes and Lent
Function
Devotional / Propitiatory / Regenerative
Actors
Local characters representing the Mask A cataletto and of the weeping procession
Participants
Local community, tourists
Description
On the night of Shrove Tuesday, the town of Santa Lucia del Mela dresses up for the awaited re-enactment of the “Cataletto” and for the preparation of a very special procession. The Carnival mask, after having eaten and drunk to excess, dies in front of a vast procession, made up of doctors, judges and priests ready to start the rite. A fake funeral procession, made up of babaluci, hold up the fercolo, a staircase on which a reclining puppet is placed and a man's head appears between the spaces giving the impression that this is real. The noises of the mottu (the classic "prefiche") accompany the mask until late at night. The procession is preceded by the staging of the “Processo a Carnevale”, where a group of Lucian actors accuse him of every committed recklessness. The actor dies during the trial by swallowing one fraviola. The performance also includes a wake, followed by a large stake in which the puppet is burned for his sins. The band accompanies the last moments of the rite which ends with the sound of the bells, which announce the end of the feast and the beginning of Lenten penance.
REFERENCES
Pitre, Giuseppe. 1979. Customs and traditions. Beliefs and Prejudices in Library of Sicilian Popular Traditions. Sala Bolognese: Ovens. v. XIV.
Sitography
 
Filmography
 
Discography
 
Footnotes
In addition to allegorical parades and masked groups, the Carnival of Santa Lucia del Mela is characterized by numerous occasions for tasting typical recipes. From macaroni to the local dessert, le fravioles, ricotta cake typical of the local carnival tradition.
Author Card
Esther Oddo
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