The Carnival of Bagnoli del Trigno is one of the carnival representations, in which the annual cycle personification becomes  the centre of the scenic representation.
In Molise, until a few decades ago, these carnival rituals were quite diffused, during which, through the preparation of wagons hauled by animals, they represented the months of the year (Campobasso, Riccia, Cercepiccola, Guardialfiera, Isernia and Bagnoli del Trigno). The wagons and the characters expressed the cyclicity of nature according to the farmers. So, the rite dates back to the tradition of the peasant civilization, but actually has very ancient origins.
The seasons personification inspired men since the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans epochs, but with the diffusion of ballads and songs in vulgar Italian, the tradition runs away. This mediaeval repertoire succeeds in surviving and nowadays is part of the regional folklore where it looks like a carnival dramatization.

The Carnival of the 12 months of Bagnoli del Trigno, though it is part of the propitiatory rites, which tend to wish a good land harvest, it has specific notes linked to the folk song of Bagnoli “Sanghe de Serinella”, which talks about “Francische lu giulliere”.
Francische lu giulliere is the character of the feast, a kind of local “Pulcinella”. He is supposed to be the real Carnival and assembles the Months, the 12 stages of the year according to the peasant point of view.
In the tradition he wore a white dress, had a stick in his hand and a high hat or a crown on his head.
The event ends with the destruction of the Carnival puppet, a symbolic act to leave behind the misfortunes of the year just passed. When the puppet is completely burnt, the new agricultural year starts, taking with him the spring.

Sanghe de Serinella

Sanghe de serinella ècchela vì na faccia bella.
Dimme mo che t'àie ncuntrate
velemme fà nu cuntrattate?
Tu me dice se c'è' piacere,
singhe Francische lu giuilliere,
tinghe tanta de sacchitte
chiene de paglia e de munnezza;
n'àie fatte maie nu mbruglie
ne conosce portafuglie;
àie fatte tante canzune,
n'àie avute mai calzune.
Te le diche 'n verità,
singhe nate 'n povertà.
Nen me trove maie pentite,
se n'àie avute maie vrstite,
e le nane puverelle
n'hanno avute maie anelle;
è pe me nu grande elogio
si n'àie avute maie rilloggio,
e pe cheste nen me ne piglie,
facce grossa na famiglia.
Ecchela vì la faccia bella,
chest'è la nobble tarantella.
Se canusce ch'è fatta male
è state nu scherze de Carnevale.

(Source: I canti popolari del Molise – collection edited by Alberto Cinese)