Estepilha, when power goes to water: the Tonca of Trento and the mandatory dive of the "enlightened ones"

In Trento, in northern Italy, there is a unique tradition that satirizes political power: during the Vigiliane Festival, the city organizes a public event where politicians and authorities who have distinguished themselves for wrong decisions throughout the year are symbolically subjected to "forced hydrotherapy". The tradition, described humorously in the article, consists of a mandatory dive of the "enlightened ones", meaning those who govern. The event is presented as a public health service, where participants must face the water as a form of atonement for their mistakes. The tradition is compared to something that should be exported to other countries, suggesting it could be beneficial in many other places around the world. The article, with a satirical tone, implicitly criticizes bad political decisions by transforming their consequence into a public and humorous ritual.