Viareggio Carnival and Parade

Endangered Animal Float

After a day in Venice for Carnival, you would think I would be ready to relax and enjoy a day without the massive crowds. Instead, I visited the Tuscan coastal town of Viareggio for their famous carnival parade. The event included seeing more people than I could fathom in one place, throwing confetti on unsuspecting "bambini", being nearly run over by giant floats, and eating typical carnival sweets.

Alien Float

Burlesque-oni

The floats are made from paper mache and can take up to a year to construct. They are created by professional artists in a designated area of the city, called the Carnival Citadel, and stored in huge garages until the event in March. The floats usually depict relevant current issues, such as politics (Obama and Berlusconi made appearances this year), the environment, and culture.

Indian Karmasutra float. 

The large, first class floats can be more than 20 meters high. The second class floats are smaller, but no less amazing. The third class floats are actually large costumes worn by a single person, such as my favorite, the Burlesque-oni costumer above.

An impressive single person float!

Abra-Obama and his flea circus of politicians

The parade was not like anything I experienced in the states. The people flood the streets and mingle with the bands and smaller floats. When the large floats, which take up the whole street, pass by, we are all pushed to the side and smashed against each other. The floats have moving and twisting elements that are either mechanically or manually controlled. I am pretty sure I almost got hit by a swinging cavewomen from the endangered animal float.

One of my favorite floats. The goddess appears when the flower opens. Below her is contaminated water and dying vegetation.

Amnesty International

The most amazing float in the parade, Rexpublica, depicts Berlusconi as a T-rex skeleton. His face cracks open to reveal a human skull. Around him are burning newspapers (a reference to his control of the Italian media). The float was accompanied by chanting dancers dressed in white. Absolutely chilling.