If I close my eyes, I can see it. The main road, the crowds celebrating, and the floats parading through the center of town. I don’t have many clear memories of my childhood. But this one remains vivid: Carnevale (Carnival). It’s a widespread tradition in Italy that usually brings Venice to mind, but in Puglia—my home region—its symbol is Putignano, a town just 25 minutes from Bari.
I remember the parades of allegorical floats, crafted from papier-mâché and iron, and their funny, elusive, mysterious figures. But the citizens of Putignano—the Putignanesi—will tell you that Carnevale’s true heart is ritualistic, biting social and political satire. (Floats were actually introduced quite recently, in the early 1900s, though the Putignano Carnival itself is the oldest in Europe; this year marks its 632nd edition.)
