The Carnival of Viareggio is the Italian masquerade festival par excellence, an event that involves millions of people from all over Italy and the world, to celebrate joy, happiness and carefree.
Fonte: dal web
Brief history of the Carnival of Viareggio
The Carnival of Viareggio has a history of over a century, characterized by milestones that have made it such an important event, appreciated and loved by young and old. Here are the most significant dates:
- 1873: the first parade of festively decorated carriages takes place in the heart of the city, in the historic Via Regia, precisely on February 25 (that is, the day of Shrove Tuesday). To preside over the jury are the gentlemen Impartial, Good taste and Intendant, who deliver a large amount of wine to the winning cart;
- 1905: the parade extends to the Viali del Mare, on the famous promenade full of Art Nouveau wooden structures and bathing establishments;
- 1921: the first song for the Carnival of Viareggio was composed by Icilio Sadun with the words of Lelio Maffei. The composition, entitled “The Carnival of Viareggio” soon becomes the official anthem of the event;
- 1923: thanks to some simple gears the Pierrot mask comes to life, giving rise to the first moving wagon;
- 1925: the papier-mâché masks were perfected by the artist Antonio D’Arliano, who modified the technique to create lighter compositions of larger dimensions;
- 1931: born the famous masks of Burlamacco (last mask of the Commedia dell’Arte) and Ondina (symbol of the summer) thanks to the local artist Uberto Bonetti;
- 1940: the last Carnival of Viareggio is celebrated, which must necessarily be suspended due to the ongoing war;
- 1946: the Carnival of Viareggio starts again, following the idea that from destruction creativity can be reborn;
- 1954: for the first time the Carnival of Viareggio is broadcast live on TV by RAI. In 1958, the broadcast was broadcast in Eurovision;
- 1960: on the floats of the Carnival of Viareggio, where political satire has always mastered, “rise” the main political leaders of the time, namely the President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, French President Charles de Gaulle and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan;
- 1973: the Carnival of Viareggio celebrates its first 100 years and is therefore celebrated with a memorable edition;
- 1984: the National Lottery of Viareggio, in conjunction with the competition of floats of the first category;
- 2001: the Carnival Citadel was inaugurated, designed by architect Francesco Tomassi.
Today the Carnival of Viareggio is an event that combines tradition, art, culture and entertainment in a mix so inviting to attract the attention of international audiences. For a whole month, the town is filled with day and night parties, as well as colorful floats, local festivals, vigils and festivals of all kinds.
The Carnival of Viareggio and the Art of Papier-Mâché
The peculiarity that makes the Carnival of Viareggio simply unique is that all the floats, even the most mammoth ones, are made entirely of papier-mâché, then in newspaper mixed with the simplest and most natural glue: water and flour.
To be precise, for the realization of floats and masks, we use cast paper, whose technique was perfected by the artist Antonio D’Arliano during the early twentieth century to obtain larger but, at the same time, lighter sculptures.
Fonte: dal web
In short, for the greatest show of its kind in the world, all you need is intelligence, models in clay, plaster casts in newspaper paper and glue based on water and flour and lots of creativity.. Since its inception, therefore, the Carnival of Viareggio has been sustainable and environmentally friendly, focusing immediately on the art of recycling.
What you can create with these few and simple materials is nothing short of incredible: traveling theaters over 20 meters high and 12 meters wide, made specifically to amaze and involve the public at the show of the Masked Courses, in an atmosphere characterized by music, colors, choreography, brio and hilarity.
Fonte: dal web
To give life to the machines of papier-mâché are, from always, the masters builders viareggini: they are very 23 the artisan firms, with hundreds of people to succession, to work daily for putting on a show with the bows. In the end, a special jury draws up a ranking of the masks and floats that participated to elect the winner.
And this year the Carnival of Viareggio awaits young and old to celebrate together the most crackling and fun: from 3 to 24 February 2024, in Viareggio, fun is simply guaranteed, between shows, events, exhibitions, workshops, competitions and parades. But not only that: there will be stands full of delicacies to refresh themselves throughout the day, as well as moments of entertainment for children and spaces dedicated to live music.
In short, there is no time to lose: the Carnival of Viareggio has already begun!
Copertina: dal web
