Sunday 28 April 2024 was held in Verona The Gnocolar Friday. After being postponed due to bad weather last February, the city has finally lived the historic event in an unusual season but in a formula that is still fascinating and engaging.
Carnival at the end of April? in Verona you can! All the images from Gnocolar Friday
This is how, after the postponement due to bad weather last February, the city of Verona was finally able to celebrate yesterday, Sunday 28 April 2024, the 494th Carnival!
The parade, made up of 23 allegorical floats, 113 carnival groups and 6 musical bands and majorette, animated the streets and squares of the city center starting from 3pm, from Corso Porta Nuova to Piazza San Zeno.
All following the Gnoco’s dad who, as per tradition, led the procession on the back of the ‘musso’.
There mask he appears as a man with a large belly, a red and white costume and a white beard. In one hand he holds the symbol of Gnocular Friday: a large fork skewering a huge dumpling.
The history of the holiday
The current formula was born in 1531, year in which there was a serious famine which caused the increase in the price of flour and the consequent refusal of bakers to sell bread.
They mainly participated in the riots that followed the inhabitants of San Zeno, at the time one of the poorest and most populated neighborhoods in the city.
To restore calm, a commission of wealthy citizens was appointed which was responsible for purchasing and distributing grain and flour. It seems he was also part of this commission Thomas Da Vico, traditionally referred to as the father of the Veronese Carnival.
It is said, in fact, that on his deathbed he gave the order to distribute free bread, wine, butter, flour and cheese to the people during the last Friday of Carnival.
“An edition that is not easy to manage – he highlighted the councilor for culture – which required a great deal of discussion and collaboration between the parties. Finding a new date for the event wasn’t easy, apparently the importance of the event and the vitality of Verona which, fortunately, is often animated by various important initiatives. This is why we have arrived at the end of April. I thank the Bacanal del Gnoco Committee for their collaboration and, in particular, all the local police personnel who supported the event for the day to ensure its smooth and safe progress”.
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