Carnival of Mezzojuso and the Mastro di Campo

Participating in traditional festivals is the best way to immerse yourself in the most typical and authentic atmosphere of an unknown place and the Mezzojuso Carnival is no exception: it takes its cue from a historical anecdote that occurred way back in 1412, in which the protagonists are a queen, a potential kidnapper and the hero who saves the girl.

Mezzojuso Carnival

The Mezzojuso Carnival recalls the attempted abduction of the noblewoman Bianca of Navarre and the heroic deeds of such a called Field Master.
The event consists of two different processions, both converging towards Piazza Umberto I of the village where a wooden stage representing the Castle is set up: the first parade sees the Queen and the King as protagonists, with their retinue of courtiers, ladies and Moors with lots of menacing scimitars. Escorted by the band of Foforio brigands who in the meantime "threaten" the crowd with their black masks, the procession arrives in the square and everyone begins to dance, among traditional masks such as the Giardiniere and U Rimitu.
Meanwhile comes the second parade headed by Mastro di Campo, with an extravagant red mask, followed by characters such as Garibaldi, the barons and the cavalry: thus begins the battle between the King and Mastro di Campo, in an amusing hubbub amidst sugared almonds and flowers thrown in the air, food offerings and assaults on the castle. Mastro di Campo gives in for a moment struck by a spell, to then resume the fight and save the queen: both find themselves parading through the streets of Mezzojuso with people celebrating them by throwing colored sugared almonds at them.

The history of the Mezzojuso Carnival

The Mezzojuso Carnival takes its inspiration from the event that took place in January 1412 when Bernard Caprera, Count of Modica, decided to raid Palazzo Steri in Palermo, with the aim of take to wife, even by force, the widow Queen Blanche of Navarre. The woman refused to take her count as her husband and he, despite the retinue of armigers, decided to imprison her. There legend tells that in reality the queen managed to escape from the fortress or was freed thanks to the brave Mastro di Campo: it is this event, with some imaginative additions, that has inspired this carnival that has been on stage for two centuries, establishing itself as one of the oldest events in all of Sicily.

When the Mezzojuso Carnival takes place

To witness this fun carnival party which involves all the citizens of Mezzojuso, it is necessary to reach the village on Carnival day: it is clear that it is a date that varies from year to year.

Where the Mastro di Campo event takes place

The Mezzojuso Carnival takes place in the heart of the village, or in Piazza Umberto I, and then winds its way through the surrounding streets with historical parades. Mezzojuso stands in the shadow of the Rocca Busambra and is surrounded by the oaks, vineyards, olive groves and dense chestnut groves of the Bosco di Ficuzza. In 1400 Mezzojuso hosted a colony of Albanian refugees and, despite the fact that the ancient language is hardly spoken anymore, many religious traditions still reveal a very fascinating ethnic mixture, as happens in the case of Byzantine-style Easter.

What to do during the Mezzojuso Carnival

The Mezzojuso Carnival is the perfect opportunity to get to know this village and its Corvino Castle dating back to the XNUMXth century, now home to local events and exhibitions. Its many churches, from the sixteenth century, are worth a visit Church of Santa Maria of all Graces (custodian of frescoes and XNUMXth century Byzantine Tables) to the Norman Church of Maria Santissima Annunziata, where it is possible to admire a wooden crucifix from 1693. The crucifix conserved in the Church of the Most Holy Crucifix, dating back to the 400s.
In Mezzojuso it is also possible to go hiking in the uncontaminated nature of the "Ficuzza Wood, Rocca Busambra, Cappelliere Wood and Gorgo del Drago Nature Reserve", among pastures, prairies, oak and holm oak woods.

How to get to Mezzojuso

Mezzojuso is about 40 km from Palermo: to reach the village from the Sicilian capital, take the E90 and then the SS121 towards Villabate. Follow the signs for Mezzojuso, which can be reached by continuing along the SP55.