Italy's most celebrated carnival, the Carnevale Di Viareggio has been bringing revelry to thousands of people for 135 years. It has endured two World Wars and continues to flourish with the many innovative and creative additions to the celebration.
The Viareggio Carnival is a month-long celebration characterized by spectacular masked balls, festive district parties, Italian musical comedies and restaurants each featuring a sampling of Italian cuisine. There are also sports events but the most famous is the International Junior Soccer Tournament Carnival Cup.
The carnival has entertainment and fun activities that both adults and children can enjoy but the main feature is the procession of floats carrying huge paper mache images of public, political and entertainment figures. On these floats, people and children ride and throw confetti to the spectators.
The crowd can also get a chance to view the Burlamacco, the carnival's official image. The Burlamacco is a clown wearing a combination of clothing and accessories taken from, among others, a Harlequin costume and an outfit from Pierrot. The show is an animated presentation as the effigies move to the beat of lively music.
The Carnevale Di Viareggio's roots are of a political nature and to this day, the festival showcases a parody of prominent personalities and brings to light issues to show the dissatisfaction of the people with the status quo.
It was founded in February 1873 when some local gentlemen decided to hold a procession of floats that were to march down the city's main street. During that time, a masked demonstration was also taking place in protest of the taxes imposed upon the people. During the demonstration, the protesters poked fun at the tax collector, and thus was born the Carnevale Di Viareggio.
The first floats and figures were made of wood, plaster and jute. Modern-day versions are now made of paper mache to make for lighter figures that can be made to move and hover. The floats are prepared and created so meticulously that float makers devote a year to their construction. In 1921, the official carnival song, "Cup of Champagne" was first sung. In 1923 the event launched Pierrot, its first-ever moving figure who is able to move its eyes and head.
In 1930, Uberto Bonetti created the Burlamacco and this became the official carnival mask. The year 2001 saw another major milestone in the carnival's history, the launching of the Citadel. This is a massive site that houses hangars where the floats can be constructed, a school for paper mache making and an arena where cultural performances are held.
This year's carnival theme is that of peace, love and solidarity. The highlight will once again be the huge floats divided into categories. The 1st category floats are the biggest ones carrying around 200 people, who will be throwing out confetti and candies to the crowd as they dance to the beat of the music.
Other people inside the float are given the task of operating the controls that will make the effigies move. The 2nd category floats are smaller in size. There are also two masquerades, an experimental float and smaller district festival floats. The parade will also feature performances from bands specializing in folklore types of music and groups from all over the world.
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