Festa del Cornuto, Feast of the Cuckold « November « Somewhere in the world today…

Never trust a Latin lover!

Picture by carmine puzo fotografo, on Flickr

When: 2nd Saturday in November
Where: Rocca Canterano near Rome & Barletta, Italy .

On the second Saturday in November the town of Rocca Canterano near Rome holds its annual Festa del Cornuto (or Festival of Horns) where any unfortunate cuckold, who has been betrayed by a fickle partner, can be consoled by a parade in their honour.

In Italy “horns” are a metaphor for having been cheated on by a partner. It is thought that the term dates from the Roman empire, when heroic soldiers returning from battle were given horns as a prize, but may have come back to find defeat in their own beds. The gesture of the horned hand is meant to convey that a person is being cheated on by his other half.

Horned paraders follow floats through the streets with actors reciting satirical stories of betrayals and love gone generally awry. America’s former first lady, Hilary Clinton, has been lucky enough to be made an unofficial patroness.

The town of Barletta in Southern Italy also holds a similar event around the same time in conjunction with their Fiera di San Martino (St Martin’s day fair) on November 11th (the Saint’s feast day) or the weekend around that date.

Have you been to the Festa del Cornuto in Italy yourself? If so, please tell us all about it! You can share your pics and videos on our facebook page too! Or if you just want to say hi, or leave a comment for any other reason, we’d love to hear from you.

Food & drink

Try the soup called “Rappacornuti” (Calm cuckold). The town of Rocca Canterano celebrates its Chestnut festival on the same day so console yourself with roasted chestnuts (or eat the best Pizza and heavenly pastas and risottos). In Scicily they eat fritelle, a type of doughnut, on St Martin’s day. Try our tasty Italian Risotto recipe. This is also the time of year to try “novello” wine (new wine). As the old Italian saying goes “A St. Martino ogni mosto diventa vino” (On St. Martin’s day every wine must turns into wine)

Travel to Italy

Book flights and hotels in Rome with ebookers.com. You may need to search for flights and hotels separately.

Dates / venues may be subject to change or cancellation. Distances may be straight-line estimates. Please verify information before booking.

From holiday reading and travel books on Italy to binoculars and sunglasses you can find everything you need for an amazing trip on Amazon. And don’t forget the camera!