February is the month of Carnival. It’s about colors, joy, music, celebrations and multi-colored costumes that crowd the streets of cities and villages. It’s the moment when “ogni scherzo vale”(every joke counts) and children let their fantasy fly masquerading as pirates, princesses, superheroes, witches and fairies. The most important Carnival celebration in Tuscany is organized in Viareggio (LU), a maritime city located in the Versilia area. Every weekend of February, thousands of people gather in its streets to take part to one of Europe’s best street parades, which is composed by dozens of wonderful floats built by local artists.
The first show took place in Via Regia in 1873, when some young men who lived in Viareggio decided to celebrate Fat Tuesday with parade of decorated coaches. This tradition continued for some years, until coaches were replaced by triumphal floats prepared in Darsena boatyard and started to march along the seafront promenade. Though it was suspended during the first world war, it pursued after 1921, when the official hymn “Coppa di Champagne” was composed, the “Viareggio in Maschera” magazine was founded and a marching band was placed side by side to the parade. Artists started to use a new material called “cartapesta” in 1925: it was made with newspapers, water, flour and glue and it was much cheaper, lighter and easier to use. The mask of Burlamacco, the symbol of Viareggio, was ideated in 1930 and it represented the two main features of the city, which are the summer and the “carnevale”. After the second world war, the celebration experienced a sudden boom: it started to be broadcasted live by RAI every year, a special area called “Cittadella del Carnevale” was created to build and to conserve the floats and an increasing quantity of papier-mache giants took part to the parade.
Nowadays, allegoric floats of sport, politics and cinema celebrities compose a magnificent procession of satirical masterpieces. As well as the five masked parades (on February 5th, 12th, 18th, 25th and 26th February), the city organizes children activities, workshops, pyrotechnic shows, music exhibitions and guided tours of the “Museo del Carnevale di Viareggio”. The tickets that allow to participate to a single celebration cost between 15 and 18€, but those who wish to participate to more than one show can buy cumulative tickets.
Don’t miss this opportunity! Book one of our properties in Versilia and check our Villa Camaiore !
