{:en}Everything is ready for the 28th CarnevaLöa{:}

{:en}At Loano, everything is now ready for the 28th edition of CarnevaLöa, the big carnival event organized by the Old Loano Association with the contribution of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the Municipality of Loano.

“The CarnevaLöa is rooted in the history and cultural traditions of our community,‘ explain Mayor Luigi Pignocca and Tourism, Culture and Sports Councillor Remo Zaccaria, ’It is not for nothing that it is one of the great historic carnivals of Liguria and one of the best known and most appreciated events of its kind nationwide. The parade of floats attracts to Loano many guests from all over Italy and even from abroad and is the perfect showcase to showcase the skill of the ”papier-mâché masters' who every year, with great skill and patience, handcraft these authentic works of art. A success with the public that rewards their skill and the commitment of the volunteers, groups and associations that for months work tirelessly and with infinite passion to organize this fantastic event. To them goes the thanks of the entire administration and the entire citizenry.".

The president of Vecchia Loano, Agostino Delfino, joins the thanks of the city administration: “I want to express my gratitude to all the masters of our association, who since early October have been working to make these splendid floats and make sure that the CarnevaLöa always takes place at its best. It is important that our guests and especially our fellow citizens feel that this event, which is to all intents and purposes part of the history of this town and this area, is their own. We hope that in the future more and more Lovanese will want to contribute to keeping the tradition alive, perhaps by materially taking part in the making of the floats or, in the case of shopkeepers, by setting up and decorating carnival-themed store windows.’.

The opening of the event will be held on Sunday, January 27, in Piazza Italia with the customary ceremony of the “handing over of the keys” by Loano Mayor Luigi Pignocca to Beciancin (the official mask of Carnevaloa) and the other masks Capitan Fracassa (a Ligurian mask from the Commedia dell'Arte), Puè Pepin (the King of Carnival) and Princess Doria del Castello (whose performer was elected last summer during the Miss Riviera delle Palme contest, also organized by Vecchia Loano). Numerous masks from Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia, as well as from Liguria, will participate in the ceremony. At 2:30 p.m., the delegations will gather in Freedom Square in Borghetto Santo Spirito and march to Loano's town hall square. At 3:30 p.m. there will be a key ceremony and presentation of the guest masks, followed by the traditional parade through the historic center.

Loano, along with Parma, Turin, Vercelli, Castelnuovo Don Bosco (Asti), Busca (Cuneo), Verona, Aosta, Acerra (Naples), Catanzaro, Polignano a Mare (Bari), and Sciacca (Agrigento) is a co-founder of the “National Coordination Center of Italian Masks.” The three masks Beciancin, Puè Pepin, Capitan Fracassa and Princess Doria del Castello are included in the “Register of Italian Masks,” in which all the masks of the Italian commedia dell'arte and folkloric characters of the various regional realities are included. The goal of the initiative is to enhance the carnival not only as an occasion for entertainment but also as a historical, traditional, cultural and tourist resource.

Two glimpses of the festival will be had on Sunday, Feb. 3 and Sunday, Feb. 10 with the two “Children's Carnival” events to be held in Massena Square and Rocca Square, respectively. The two fun-filled masked afternoons dedicated to the little ones will begin at 3 p.m. with games, dancing, entertainment by the Matti da Legare and, in closing, a sweet snack for all. And on Sunday, Feb. 10, children can try their hand at the game of piñata. U Beciancin and Puè Peppin will be present at the party.

On Sunday, Feb. 17, the highly anticipated parade of floats will be held on the waterfront. The floats, made by carnival artisans and inspired by cartoons, current events and satire, will leave at 3 p.m. from Mazzini Square, travel along Corso Roma and reach Cadorna Square, where they will turn around to return to their starting point. The parade, therefore, will move in the opposite direction than usual. During the parade, the Palio dei Borghi, a carnival competition involving the “representative” floats of the villages of Loano, will take place.

Competing for the Palio dei Borghi victory will be Up (Prigliani), Harry Potter (Meceti), Queen (Borgo di dentro), Wonderland (Mazzocchi), and I Planes (Piazza Rocca G.S. Team, which triumphed last year with the Ghost Vessel). Also parading will be the Clock Tower and Palazzo Doria float with Lovran masks (by the Old Loano Association) and Lego School, Loano's Rossello Schools float dedicated to all children. Also returning this year is the “Beccian Car,” the “rigadera” or watering can-shaped car, i.e., the symbol of Beciancin. The Pompeiana marching band will participate. The parade can be followed live on Facebook (@carnevaloa). At the Sea Workers“ Cottage, delicious ”bugie" prepared with the cooperation of the White Hats Brotherhood will be available.

The carnival festival will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 24, with the Palio dei Comuni, in which the floats of the coastal and inland municipalities that have joined the event will take part: Snow White (Pieve di Teco), Scooby Doo (Borghetto Santo Spirito), Grock the Clown King (Ortovero), Let Us Work, But Not Too Much (Bardino Vecchio, last year's winner with the Viva la Foca float), Ferrari (from Albenga's Drift Kart Track, out of competition) and the winner of the Palio dei Borghi by Loano (out of competition). The parade will kick off at 3 p.m. The Ventimiglia Philharmonic will participate. At the Casetta dei Lavoratori del Mare, delicious “bugie” prepared with the cooperation of the White Hats Brotherhood will be available. Both the Palio dei Borghi and the Palio dei Comuni will be conducted by Stefania Vivioli.

The Loano carnival has more than 100 years of history and over time several associations have taken turns carrying on this tradition: the “Loano Sports Union,” the “Red Circle,” the “Fetaia,” the “Edelweiss,” the “Oriental Bluman Carovan” group, the “Puè Pepin” Association , the ’Azienda Autonoma di Turismo e Soggiorno” and since 1992 it has been the turn of the ”Old Loano“ Association with the support of the Tourism, Culture and Sports Department of the City of Loano.

Over the past few years the Loano carnival has come to be recognized by the region as the “largest carnival in Liguria” in terms of number of floats, and for the past few years it has included a mask from the Italian commedia dell'arte, Capitan Fracassa, who together with Puè Pepin, King of the Loano Carnival since 1950 and U Beciancin, a goliardic character from the early 1900s who is the official mask, make up a carnival trio now known throughout Italy.

In 2017, CarnevaLöa was recognized as a “historical carnival” by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture for the important role it has played in promoting tourism in the area for a hundred years.{:}