In a green valley, amongst coniferous forests and alpine pastures, the village of Schignano embeds itself in the poor mountains that face Lake Como. One of the most ancient traditions of Schignano is surely the Carnival, which is celebrated every year in a very peculiar, nay, unique way. The parade, full of allegories and symbols, depicts the farewell of the men, who have to leave village one again towards their migrant destiny. The Carnival sinks its roots in the past, common to many villages of the region, when the men used to leave their homes and families for nine months a year. The end of the Carnival thus enacts the departure of the men and the solitude of the women. A spontaneous festival, anarchical, with no rules nor written laws, that continues to live only thanks to the people’s spirit and to the artisans who cave the characteristic wooden masks.
I' m following this story since three years. I was granted exceptional access to the heart of a community which is notoriously closed. I' m mainly attracted by an archaic Italy that is still alive. I' m starting a crowdfunding campaign to produce the book and the exhibition.
