Triora - The Witches' City

The "city" of Triora, known as the "city" of Witches, is located in Italy and it's a small village in the hills of the Valle Argentina (not in Argentina of course, we are talking about Italy - Europe) near the border with France.

Much of the architecture of the village dates back to the 12th century, but the most famous period of this village was during the 16th century when a certain number of women (not clear how many, but the number was great enough to be remembered to this day) were sentenced to death by being burned alive by the Inquisition.

In this village, supposedly, a curse overshadowed it during the Middle Ages. Two years of bad weather followed it, as well as drought and famine because of shortages in agriculture, which in the year of 1587 the church and all most of the villages denizens were certain that witches were conspiring against the village. A group of women from Triora and nearby villages were accused of sacrificing infants and offering them to the devil. They were tried, tortured and burned alive during a long period between the years of  1587 and 1589. The ruins of La Cabotina where hypothetically they did their blasphemous rituals still exists to this day.

These women actually had a vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and worked with such herbs, turning them into medicines and oils to heal the sick. A tradition that was passed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter; from generation to generation this traditions was passed down. Apparently this fact was enough evidence to accuse these women of witchcraft.

This dark event in the history of Triora, which led so many to a gruesome and horrible death, is still remembered today. Triora's residents seem to have a morbid pride about the dark history of their village. A museum, shops with witchcraft items, signage, sculptures, witch houses and various relics were placed and preserved, and can be seen throughout the entire village. There are a number of events and folk festivals, and witches are the main theme (of course). There are three annual festivals: Witchcraft and summer Divinations Festival during August, and two autumn celebrations: the Mushroom Festival in September and Halloween in late October.

Triora has an ethnological museum, old documents and objects that belonged to people who claimed to be witches and a sort of wax museum - reproducing scenes of the arrest and interrogation of women suspected of witchcraft. In the village there is also an association of witches, whose members are descendants of people accused of witchcraft and burned alive.

Carnival - 21 February

Carnival is a  social phenomenon, that remote to an era, long before the christian time. To a time ere many civilizations practiced it, In ancient Egypt, Greece and Italy in the time of the Romans.
The people from different social classes, gathered in public squares, with masks and decorations, to drink wine, dance, sing and deliver the most diverse whoredoms.

Canival is probably the annual festival whose origins are revealed the most controversial of all. This is due undoubtedly to the fact that this celebration resented the deep conflict between Christianity and Paganism.

Carnival may have originated from the Latin expression "carrum navalis" referring to the naval cars that made the opening of the feasts in Greece, in the seventh (VII) and the sixth (VI) centuries BC or "carnem levare" which means, "farewell to the flesh/meat", expression that came to take place after the implementation of Christianity as a way of remembering the fasting of Lent.
According to some historians, the carnival starts at the beginning of our civilization and dates back to ancient Sumer and Egypt, the origin of the rituals are celebrations of fertility and harvest the first crops on the banks of the Nile, more than six thousand years ago.

In ancient Greece, celebrations were in honor of Dionysus, god of wine, culture and transformation. According to mythology, Dionysus was expelled from Mount Olympus, and whenever he returned to Greece in the early days of spring was greeted by his faithful worshipers, with exotic dances and many drinks.In ancient Rome, the feast was celebrated in the streets by the priestesses who worshiped Bacchus (the Latin name of Dionysus). The priestesses danced and chanted throughout the city, causing the disorder, which spread to the people passing in the streets.
t is clear that the valence of the meat is in the exaggeration of its consumption, since these classical festivities were guided by food, drink and sex, to give joy to the body in favor of fertility rites, this may have contributed for the prohibition of meat consumption and abstinence after the catharsis of the carnival, as well as any pleasure associated with food, drink or sex.The church seeing this and powerless to counter these pagan festivals, decided to accept this on their calendar, a period that precedes Lent.