The Carnival period is one of the best times to visit Resia and get to know its customs, its people, its dialect, its dances and music and, of course, its masks. There are two types of traditional carnival masks in Val Resia. The best known are the 'lipe bile maškire' (beautiful white masks), traditionally worn by young, unmarried girls, dressed in white and wearing a handmade hat made of paper flowers and small rattles. All 'lipe bile maškire' are accompanied by a male counterpart, called 'maškarun', mainly distinguished by a less high hat.
The other type of masks, as opposed to the first, are the 'ugly' masks of the 'babaci'/'kukaci', who usually wear plain old clothes, often inside out, and sometimes cover their faces or smear them with soot or charcoal.
The typical Resian dances that accompany the Püst di Resia are rigorously guided by the sound of the cïtira and bünkula, the violin and cello respectively, while the rhythm is marked by pounding feet. The two instruments are actually newly introduced, and together they recreate the sound of the 'dudy', a kind of bagpipe that was originally played to accompany these ancient dances. In order to resemble the sound of the 'dudy', the cïtira and the bünkula are manipulated and modified: the former is replaced with mandolin strings that are pulled to the maximum and tuned in very high tones, while the latter is left with only two strings and an additional one made of animal fibre.
Check also the blog Püst – Carnevale in Val Resia (Somewhere FVG): www.somewherefvg.it/pust-in-val-resia/
For more information:
www.resianet.org/site/carnevale/
www.facebook.com/proloco.valresia
The Püst (Carnival) of Resia
In Val Resia, Carnival (Püst) is still particularly felt and participated by the local population, and is framed by ancient music and dances that probably arrived in this valley with the first settlements of the Resian community in the 4th century.
Estimated date: From Maundy Thursday to Ash Wednesday
