Carnival in the Marmolada area is a strongly felt tradition, which every year donates funny moments and delicious instants of pleasure to the palates of adults and children.
The most well-known Carnival characters of this area of the Dolomites are the “Matazin” (or “Matacinch”) young and good looking young men, who run around the different villages, accompanied by music and songs, with long, conical or parallelepiped hats, covered with paper flowers, feathers, and ribbons. They usually wear colourful customs, sewed putting together different big shawls, made of silk, or satin.
From the gastronomic point of view, the Carnival typical dessert in the characteristic villages of the Pettorina valley, at the foot of the Queen of the Dolomites, are the “Fiorostide”, better known in Italy as “Chiacchiere”, which in English means “Chats”. These are light and crunchy, fried puff pastries, covered with powdered sugar. And, this year, on the Marmolada, Carnival will be dedicated to this tasty dessert.
In fact, on Shrove Tuesday (February, 28th), Marmolada Move To The Top society will offer for free a taste of this dessert to every host who is going to have a coffee in Malga Ciapela Bar (in front of the departure station of the cableway Move To The Top), or in Serauta Bar (by the homonym station at 3000 m, where you can find
In the evening of Tuesday, February 28th, tourists can even take part to a special edition of the torchlight in the gorge of the Serrai di Sottoguda, an incredible natural canyon, which develops for 2 km between rock walls and iced waterfalls. The evening will be animated by Gruppo Folk Marmolèda, which will be present with some of the typical Carnival masks of the Pettorina valley, and with the Matazin. Hosts will be able to parade masked. The departure will be at 9 pm by the Marmolada Ski School, in Malga Ciapela. At the arrival, in the village of Sottoguda, there will be a buffet with some different desserts and with hot wine.
Info and booking: Consorzio Turistico Marmolada Rocca Pietore Dolomiti Tel. 0437 722277.
