The Carnival of Tufara, celebrated every year on Shrove Tuesday, is one of the most fascinating and characteristic events in Molise. The absolute protagonist is the figure of the Tufara Devil, a very ancient mask with a strong symbolic value rooted in pagan rites linked to the cycles of nature and the passage from winter to spring.
The Devil, imposing and disquieting, wears seven goat skins, a black mask with a long red tongue, horns and trident, and is chained by a group of goblins who drag him between jumps, falls and acrobatics through the streets of the village. Preceding him is Death, dressed in white and armed with a scythe, who recalls the theme of the life-death-rebirth cycle. The atmosphere is intense and evocative: screams, noises and dances transform the streets of Tufara into a unique stage.
The climax of the festival is the trial of Carnival, impersonated by a straw puppet accused of the faults of the past year. Defended by the 'Mother' and the 'Father of Carnival', the puppet is finally condemned and thrown from the castle, in a cathartic rite representing collective purification. Immediately afterwards, the 'Mother-Parch' announces the birth of the new Carnival, a symbol of rebirth and hope for the year to come.
This extraordinary pantomime, handed down from generation to generation, is not only a popular festival but a true identity rite for Tufara: a weave of faith, myth and peasant culture that fascinates residents and visitors alike, making the Carnival of Tufara one of the most evocative events in the Molise landscape.
