The new, 19th prince of the Ptuj Carnival:
Francesco Guffante, Ptuj city judge, Marko Šamperl
On November 11, 2023, the 19th Prince of the Ptuj Carnival, Francesco Guffante, Ptuj city judge, Marko Šamperl, was solemnly sworn in at the traditional St. Martin's celebration in the heart of the oldest Slovenian city.
He took over the princely authority from the hands of the 18th prince of the carnival, knight Hinko Sodinski, a noble Gall.
"I am proud that I will be able to represent the noble mission of Kurents and Korants in the honorary role of the 19th Prince of the Ptuj Carnival. There is no carnival without Kurentovanje, so with my reign during the carnival, I will actively strive to respectfully pass on the reputation of Ptuj as a unique carnival town - both throughout Europe and the world, and to future generations," Marko Šamperl describes his role as the new prince.
Who is Francesco Guffante, the 19th Prince of the Ptuj Carnival, the Ptuj city judge?
The new prince of the Ptuj carnival for the years 2024-2026 is Marko Šamperl from Ptuj, who comes from the district community of Spuhlja. At the age of ten, he became a member of the Korant Spuhlja association. The Šamperl family is known for its active role in kurent rituals, as the third generation has been working in the association. Father Marjan was the first one to become a member, and now Marko and his son Urban are also involved.
The 19th prince of the Ptuj carnival represents the Ptuj city judge and wholesaler Francesco Guffante, who came to Ptuj at the end of the 15th century with Italian families of builders from Lugano in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking part of today's Ticino canton. His corner house at Murkova 2 is one of the better-known houses in Ptuj.
Link to the Prince's website: https://princptujskegakarnevala.com/
