SCHIGNANO
SCHIGNANO CARNIVAL
The carnival in Schignano is set to kick off on Saturday the 2nd to Tuesday the 5th . It is certainly one of the most famous carnivals on Lake Como.
The carnival in Schignano maintains the antique characteristics of the festival thanks to the participation of the villagers in Schignano who strive to make the two days a success each year.
The story of the carnival in Schignano revolver around two characters : Bello and Brutto ( Ulgy and Beautiful)
An important historical feature of the carnival are the traditional masks made in wood, sculpted from the roots of the walnut tree.
The mask of ‘bello’ has elegant and symmetrical lines, while that of ‘brutto’ has a distorted, twisted shape.
Some of the masks date from 200years ago.
The carnival will commence in the main square in the village and move along the various alleys and streets of the town.
Below see some of the carnival characters:
I Sapeaur and La Sigurtà: Two masked characters, dressed in sheepskin, faces painted black with a long white beard.
Il Mascarun: (bello) The famous ‘bello’ dressed in bright colours, with a extraordinary large stomach.
Il Brut : (brutto) The famous ‘brutto’ dressed in miserabile clothes.
La Ciocia: The wife of Mascarun who is kept on a leash attached to the evry man himself. She’s dressed in traditional clothes in dark colours, painted black, and always under the watchful eye of her husband.
il Carlisep: This character is placed in the main square a couple of days before the carnival, who amazingly comes alive when the carnival passes by.
