Carnival in Naples: how to experience the magic of the Neapolitan carnival in 2021

Also this year has come the Carnival, by many considered the feast par excellence. A millenary tradition that is consecrated in the four corners of the globe according to the specific cultural coordinates of the place. We could almost say, without being wrong, that there are hundreds of Carnivals in the world. A feast of multiplicity and disguise, pleasure and joy, which in the common imagination is associated with free and unconditional fun and, above all, with the great crowds of the Carnivals of Rio de Janeiro and Venice. But as we well know, the health emergency of Covid-19 that has brought an entire planet to its knees, will not allow this year, at least in Italy, the holding of typical carnival events, although some big cities like Venice, will propose a streamed solution to the problem. And in Naples, which is the city of fun par excellence, how will you live this particular Carnival of 2021? 

So for those who decide to spend the Carnival period in Naples, what are the strategies to put in place to make the occasion enjoyable this year? Of course, it's true, the big masked parties and the nightly parties are forbidden in the interest of everyone's health, but, following the various regulations and directives of the case, nothing will prevent you from dressing up during the day and strolling around the historic center with your family and with your partners.

Indeed, if we can give you a hint, we can remind you that this year between Fat Thursday, which falls on February 11 and Fat Tuesday, which is instead the 16th, there is another important event, which coincides with the Sunday of Carnival: Valentine's Day, the feast of lovers. Then we strongly recommend that you take a romantic walk with your boyfriend or girlfriend, perhaps wearing a simple mask to act as a counterpoint to the one already used for health prophylaxis. And so disguised, enjoy the promenade of via Caracciolo dominated by the Castel dell'Ovo and the scenic majesty of Vesuvius, and at a safe distance from other couples, celebrate this double anniversary with the help of imagination.

And then, stretching towards piazza del Plebiscito and entering the old town, imagine to be some important historical figure, perhaps a couple of royalty, like King Charles of Bourbon and Queen Maria Amalia of Saxony, or Queen Joan II with her favorite Ser Gianni Caracciolo. Make your triumphant entrance into the streets of Naples and continue the celebrations of Carnival 2021!

Once you have entered the ancient centre of Naples, we suggest you visit the city's most important monuments with this sort of mental disguise and immerse yourself in Neapolitan history, identifying with the characters who animated those streets and ancient testimonies.

The invitation this time is open to everyone, young and old, because you all have the right to play your role. For one day you will become Angioni in Santa Chiara, Aragonese in San Domenico Maggiore, and you can participate, why not, in the uprisings of '47 at the side of Masaniello, but be very careful with your head! And if you really want to act and sing, near piazza San Gaetano, there should be the ancient Roman Theatre of Neapolis where you can still hear the claque applauding Nero's performative exploits. If you dare, ask permission to accompany him on the lyre!

And if you don't want to try your hand at this historical psychodrama, we would like to remind you that from Monday to Friday, the city's major museums are open in compliance with current anti-Covid regulations: you could spend your Carnival celebrations there, with an eye to the exhibitions still being set up. The Museo di Capodimonte, the Certosa e Museo di San Martino, the MANN and the MADRE, just to mention the most important ones, are waiting for you with their inestimable treasures, for a 2021 Carnival full of "cultural fun". Don't forget, of course, to reinvigorate yourself with a good dose of chiacchiere and sanguinaccio, the typical Carnival sweets: if you pay attention, all the bars and pastry shops in Naples are full of these sweets, winking invitingly at passers-by and tourists from their windows. Taste them and keep the sweet taste in your memory, and remember, above all, that you were king of Naples, even if only for a day.