♦ A cherished tradition and labor of love for 150 years! ♦
Dating back to 1873, the tradition of Carnevale Viareggio is definitely the culmination and result of extraordinary community participation and community pride!
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Carnevale, popularly known as Carnival, season and celebrations begin 40 days before Easter with a calendar of festive parades and events culminating in Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the last Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. This year Carnival started February 4th and extends until today, the 21st.
Venice, of course, is famous for its refined and elegant if not ostentatious celebration of 18th century aristocratic luxury. However, in Viareggio, it is definitely an event embraced by and accessible to the entire community.
♦ Carnevale Viareggio 2023 ♦
Viareggio is a day trip from Florence and, after reading and seeing more about their parade, I decided that perhaps this was the year to go! I invited a friend and off we went!
Opting for the Sunday, February 19th afternoon date (there are six parades between February 4th and 25th), as soon as you get off the train you are immersed in the Carnevale spirit and it is infectious! Costumed couples, families, friends are all headed in the same direction – to the parade! Banners, streamers and confetti mark the route and along the way savvy vendors sell inexpensive wigs, masks, etc. for as little as 5 euros.
It’s impossible to miss where to enter and where the parade procession will take place as you can easily spot the towering floats as the parade begins with (literally) a bang!
We weren’t sure what to expect and we hadn’t purchased tickets in advance (next time!) but just standing in line was a visual treat! Costumes were anything goes – everything from a pink wig to a bathrobe and shower cap to more elaborate creations!
I had read about the massive size of the floats in Viareggio and had seen photos and videos but it wasn’t until I was standing along the parade route that I could truly appreciate their tremendous size and marvelous detail! And they are wonderfully animated with movement and lively music!
The gigantic papier-mâché floats measure up to 20 meters – that’s over 60 feet tall! The creative and creation process starts the previous summer – an enormous undertaking of deconstructing the previous years floats and beginning work on the new. Anything goes thematically but there are categories and there is a competition in each.
Truly nothing short of remarkable…not to mention the hundreds of richly costumed and enthusiastic volunteer participants who accompany and adorn each float with entertaining and dramatic choreography!
Enjoy the creativity and delightful spirit of fun and gaiety of Carnevale Viareggio 2023!
Truly, anything goes during Carnevale (and I know I will definitely go again!!)
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♦ Read more about Il Carnevale in Viareggio
♦ If you follow me on Facebook, check out my page for more Carnevale Viareggio photos and videos!
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4 thoughts on “Carnevale Viareggio 2023!”
My very first visit to Il Carnevale thanks to seeing this post! Looks wonderful! Seems that a good time was had by all, including me!
Wonderful! My first time as well and truly loved it! And love sharing the tradition and fun so others, like yourself, can at least enjoy virtually!
Happy Fat Tuesday!
I would love to be in Viareggio since I have family very close to there. It looks truly exciting and the costumes look so creative….I will be checking the dates of next years event.
You would love it, Linda – the dates are always in February (related to Easter and Lent, of course) and you can probably check now!
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