Have you been unlucky in love? Perhaps your amour has proved less than faithful! If so, you might fancy popping along to the Festa del Cornuto (or Festival of Horns, Feast of the Cuckold) at Rocca Canterano, on the second Saturday in November.
Festa del Cornuto, Rocca Canterano
At this time, the town comforts the lovelorn by holding a special parade for those whose lover has proved untrue. During the parade figures called Cornutos march through the streets wearing a helmet with horns, sometimes they cry and smash up objects that symbolize their failed relationship.
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. Unfortunately, these horns took on a different meaning over time as many of the long serving fighters discovered their partner’s beds had been occupied by an army of new armours. Thus, the term "cornuto" began to refer to a man who had been cheated on. The festival has a positive outcome for many folks however, as the previously spurned can often meet a new squeeze there to ease their broken heart. Ahhhhhh
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