What is ‘lu bov fint’?

Let’s discover one of the main events in our region that occurs in the first period of the year.

You should know that our region is rich in traditions and events that evoke historical periods. Our medieval and Renaissance villages are decorated so that they become the perfect background to traditional events that attract more and more tourists and fans. The Quintana in Ascoli Piceno and the Palio dell’Assunta in Fermo are among the most famous events of the Marches. However, one of the moments that takes place in the first period of the year and that still gathers thousands of people in the beautiful town of Offida is lu bov fint.

Lu bov fint is the carnival of Offida: a historical carnival which takes place in a town located in the province of Ascoli Piceno. This tradition that has lasted many years, brings to life the spirit of carnival filling the hearts of the inhabitants of the whole area of piceno. It officially begins on St. Anthony’s Day, on 17 January and lasts until Ash Wednesday.

The celebrations are carried out in two weeks; one of the highlights is the ‘Sunday of friends‘, when the congregation of Ciorpento comes out from palazzo Mercolini to start the carnival. Another important event occurs on Fat Thursday, when the mayor delivers the keys of the city to the Congregations – those who will get families and friends together, eager to celebrate carnival – and there is a masquerade in the square. The feast of Lu Bov Fint, which means ‘fake bull’, is celebrated on Friday.

It’s a real festival during which a rudimentary bull built on a frame of wood and iron and covered with a white cloth, is brought on the shoulders by a couple of men. The fake bull will roam about in the streets of the town until reaching the main area, that is the square. There a crowd masquerading in the guazzarò (a typical folklore costume) will wait for the bull’s arrival to provoke it and then will run away. Running around, screaming and shouting will make Offida look like a real bullfight.

In the evening, the end of the party is declared by the slaughter of the bull whose horns have to touch on the column of the municipal building. The final procession of the dead bull represents the final act which is accompanied by the traditional singing of the carnival of Offida.