Carnevale Acquese — Carvè di Sgaientò, Acqui Terme
Acqui Terme's carnival day, the 'Carvè di Sgaientò': in the morning King Sgaientò is handed the keys of the town in Piazza Bollente, then in the afternoon papier-mâché floats and masked groups from Acqui and the surrounding villages parade through the centre to Piazza Italia, where the best float wins the Trofeo Beppe Dominici.
Why it's special
Floats come from villages all around Acqui and from as far as Cortemilia in the Langa, the town's band leads the parade, and the day ends with a prize-giving and a carnival fair with fritters in Piazza Italia. 'Sgaientò', the scalded ones, is the old nickname of the people of Acqui, from a local legend that newborns were dipped for a moment in the hot spring of La Bollente, and the morning's 'scottatura' ceremony plays on it.
Programme · 2026
23rd edition, organised by the Città di Acqui Terme with AcquiEventi and twinned with the Carnevale di Bistagno.
- The morning ceremony is in Piazza Bollente at about 11:00; floats gather at 14:00 in Piazzale Don Dolermo (the former Caserma Cesare Battisti) and the parade sets off around 14:30, reaching Piazza Italia at about 17:00 for the prizes.
- Piazza Italia, Corso Dante, Corso Italia and Corso Bagni have a children's play area, carnival stalls and fritters all day.
- If it rains the carnival moves to a later date (in 2026 the back-up date was Saturday 28 February), announced on carnevaleacqui.it.
The Carnevale Acquese, or Carvè di Sgaientò in dialect, is the one-day carnival of Acqui Terme. Sgaientò, 'the scalded ones', is the nickname of the people of Acqui, after a legend that newborns were once dipped for a moment in the hot spring, and the day is built around the town's carnival king, Re Sgaientò. In the morning he and the Queen of the Carnevale Acquese go through the scottatura in Piazza Bollente, beside the steaming spring of La Bollente, and are handed the keys of the town.
The afternoon is the parade. Papier-mâché floats and masked groups from Acqui and the surrounding villages gather in Piazzale Don Dolermo and wind through the centre behind the town band and visiting folk groups, flag-wavers and marching bands, to finish in Piazza Italia. There the floats and groups are judged, and the most artistic float takes the Trofeo Beppe Dominici. In 2026 floats came from nine places, among them Bistagno (whose own carnival is twinned with Acqui's), Cortemilia, Castelnuovo Belbo and Molare.
All day the streets around Piazza Italia have a children's play area, carnival stalls, fritters and the Mercatino degli Sgaientò. The date moves from year to year, from late February into March, so look for it on the comune tourism calendar or carnevaleacqui.it from January.
Past editions
| Year | Dates | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday 22 February 2026 | 23rd edition, organised by the Città di Acqui Terme with AcquiEventi and twinned with the Carnevale di Bistagno. 11:00, Piazza Bollente – the 'scottatura' of the King with the Queen of the Carnevale Acquese and the handing of the town's keys to His Majesty Re Sgaientò 14:00, Piazzale Don Dolermo – floats and masked groups gather 14:30 – parade through the centre with the Corpo Bandistico Acquese, the Gruppo storico Maschere d'Italia, the flag-wavers and musicians of Borgo San Lorenzo di Alba, the Banda folkloristica di Barge with majorettes and the Bandarotta Fraudolenta 17:00, Piazza Italia – arrival and prizes for floats and masked groups, including the Trofeo Beppe Dominici for the most artistic float All day – carnival fair, children's play area, fritters and the Mercatino degli Sgaientò in Piazza Italia, Corso Dante, Corso Italia and Corso Bagni Result – floats came from Bistagno, Acqui, Molare, San Giorgio Scarampi, Cortemilia, Villa del Foro, Castelnuovo Belbo, Rivarone and San Marzano Oliveto; Cortemilia's 'Diavoli delle Piazze' won the Trofeo Beppe Dominici, ahead of Bistagno and Castelnuovo Belbo, in front of record crowds |
| 2025 | Sunday 16 March 2025 | 22nd edition. 11:30, Piazza Bollente – 'scottatura' ceremony with the King and Queen of the Carnevale Acquese and the keys of the town for Re Sgaientò 14:00 – parade from Piazzale Don Dolermo through the centre with floats, folk groups, bands and masked groups, ending around 17:00 in Piazza Italia with the prize-giving |
| 2024 | Sunday 25 February 2024 | 11:00 'scottatura' ceremony in Piazza Bollente; 14:30 parade of floats and folk groups from Piazzale Don Dolermo; 17:00 arrival in Piazza Italia with a bouncy-castle play area and the Mercatino degli Sgaientò. |
| 2023 | Saturday 25 February 2023 | Organised by the Comune with the Comitato Amici del Carnevale. 11:00 'scottatura' and keys of the town in Piazza Bollente; 14:00 floats and masked groups gather in Piazzale Don Dolermo; 17:00 end of the parade in Piazza Italia and the Trofeo Beppe Dominici for the most artistic float. Guests included the Italian folk marching band 'Canta e Sciuscia' of Sanremo and the flag-wavers of the Rione Cattedrale from the Palio di Asti. |