Fantavehicle Carnival

Since 1998, the old town of Imola has come alive each year with festivities, laughter and colours thanks to the Fantavehicle Carnival, one of the most original, impressive carnival celebrations in Italy.

The idea behind these unique floats arose from the fusion of three elements:

• the folly and creativity of the locals. In fact, in the 1900s, Imola was named the ‘city of the mad’ due to the presence of two psychiatric wards;
• technical ingenuity and inventiveness, gifts shared with people from Romagna;
• passion for motors. Imola is known for its racing circuit and for bicycles, a loyal everyday companion.

The union of these three elements, plus a desire to respect the environment, gave rise to the idea of Fantavehicle.

What is a Fantavehicle, exactly?

These unique, original automobiles are built with creativity, extravagance and imagination using a wide variety of materials. They have to have two essential qualities:

• the first is fantasy. These vehicles can be any size or shape, and they must represent a theme or subject (the sky’s the limit!), in a peculiar, ironic way. Pieces can be welded, dovetailed, or glued together: participants can let their imagination run wild.
• The second is environmental sustainability: Fantavehicles cannot pollute! That means they cannot be propelled by combustion motors or other polluting systems. What is allowed is the driving force of legs and arms, the wind, solar panels or any other invention, as long as it doesn’t leave pollutants in the environment!

Everyone can participate in the event, creating their own Fantavehicle or joining forces with others to create a group, all dressed in costume of course. There are also different free competitions during the event, for awards for various categories.

In addition to the competition and the parade with people dressed in festive costumes, the programme includes the Carnival for Children and Teens, workshops for little ones and photography exhibitions that enrich the festive, playful atmosphere of the event.

For more information click HERE