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Festa dei Cornuti: Celebrating Infidelity

Mónica Boixeda Only-Be, Roman

In Italy, someone who suffers an infidelity of his or her partner is called cornuto or “horned one”. But where does this strange term come from? Tradition suggests that its origin derives from ancient Rome, when many legionaries returning from the battlefields after several years were rewarded with a horn full of coins, only to finding upon reaching their home that their wives had found themselves lovers to keep their beds warm. Rocca Canterano is a tiny Italian town of just over 200 inhabitants, located in the province of Rome. It was not always such a small town: at the beginning of the century it had ten times more inhabitants, and around its beautiful church of Santa Maria Assunta meetings, festivals and rituals were held all summer long. However, the most curious event that takes place in Rocca Canterano is in early autumn, on the Sunday nearest to November 11 (in 2011 it will be the 13th). This is the Festa dei Cornuti (ie, the party of cuckolds), held in honour of St. Martin, bishop of Tours and patron saint of all those who have been cheated on by their partners. There are many different theories about why the festival is celebrated at that time … Some say it is a pagan holiday in origin: the Celts celebrated the end of the year traditionally in November with a twelve-day-long wild party during which there were frequent infidelities … Another less exciting explanation is that this is when cattle fairs are held, and we must keep in mind that the animals of the region generally have good sized horns … There is a... read more