Carnival, in Fano, is more than just a celebration: it is a cultural event the whole city identifies with, because Fano boasts the most ancient Carnival in Italy, as is testified by a still available manuscript dated A.D. 1347. Ever since, Carnival was regularly celebrated. A committee passionately organizes every year the event, assisted by masters in the ancient art of papier-mâché who build giant mobile structures, always dealing with new issues and topics. The chariots parade in the streets of Fano, crowded with dumbfounded people, while masked children laugh and collect the candies thrown down during the “Getto” (“the throw”), consisting of almost two thousand kilos of toffies and chocolates “seeded” from the top of chariots, an act symbolically linked to the agricultural sowing, as a wish of prosperity that makes Fano’s also the sweetest Carnival in Italy. In the parade, stands out the “Vulòn” chariot, a local carnival icon recalling the ill-famed Napoleonic criers (their announcements began by saying “Nous voulons”, “we want”) who became the mask of the arrogant braggart, who concludes his parade on Mardi Gras, when he is put on fire to take winter away with him. The parade is accompanied by a folk band of “Musica Arabita” (“angry music” in dialect) playing such bizarre instruments as cowbells, coffee machines, umbrellas and other unlikely objects. Fano offers many other extraordinary events. World famous artists delight ears and hearts with their blue notes at the Fano Jazz by the Sea Festival; during the Passaggi Festival, dedicated to literary essays, Fano becomes a place where cultural events take place in the name of enrichment and debate; finally, in July takes place Fano dei Cesari (“Fano of the Caesars”): during a whole week the city relives the splendour of ancient Rome with costume performances, biga races and much more.
Fano