Viareggio Carnival 2011
Party on! One of the most famous carnival parties of Italy will soon begin. This year’s edition of the Carnival will start on Sunday February the 20th and will repeat every Sunday up to March 13th and, of course, Mardì Gras (8th of March) included. To take part to the Viareggio Carnival you need to buy a ticket that costs 15 euros for adults and 10 euros for kids (reduced prices) kids until up to 10 years old doesn’t pay (read below for the details).
Viareggio is the center of the Tuscan Riviera. It’s a very charming town with a large street by the seaside that is good for walking, running, riding a bike, or shopping (there are also many glamorous shops nearby!). When it’s carnival this street becomes a 2km (1.2 miles) long circuit where more than 1.000.000 people from all over the world come to be a part of this interesting event.
History of Viareggio’s carnival
Burlamacco
Carnival in Viareggio started in 1873, when a group of young guys sitting around the tables of the “Caffè del Casinò” had the idea of making a parade. They asked the best artisans and sculptors to build astonishing carriages and soon it was a popular party, a moment of joy in the city, the glorious days of the “belle époque” in Europe. Then came World War I and there was an interruption of the event until 1921 at which point Viareggio’s parade returned even more beautiful than before. The first official Viareggio Carnival song was “Coppa di Champagne” (glass of champagne) that became the anthem for carnival-goers.
The symbol of Carnival is Burlamacco (see picture), which was created in 1930 by Umberto Bonetti. The symbol of Viareggio’s carnival can be found at the Musée de l’Homme of Paris and also at the Folklore Museum of Rome.
How to get there
By train: Viareggio’s train station is about 15 minutes walk, first down a main street and then along the seaside (Lungomare). You can consult the timetable at the Trenitalia website.
By bus: check on Lazzi website for timetable or call phone +39 055.363041 or +39 0583.587897
By car: Car parking costs Euro 8,00 from 8am to 7pm and you find them at:
- Terrazza della Repubblica: around Viale Belluomini
- Via Fratti (sea side)
- Via Bixio
If you want to book a hotel visit the official website of APT Versilia.
[geo_mashup_map]General Information
When:
- February 20th – 3pm
- February 27th – 3pm
- March 6th – 3pm
- Marc 8th (mardì gras) – 3pm
- March 13th – 5pm
Tickets:
- 1 person – Euro 15,00
- 25 people – Euro 13,00
- children from 11 to 13 years old – Euro 10,00
- children above 10 years old – free
Tickets can be booked by fax +39 0584/47077 or by email biglietteria@ilcarnevale.com.
If you need further information, visit the official website of “Carnevale di Viareggio”
If you are a foodie and if you want to know more about Tuscan Carnival Sweets, read Tuscanycious blog recepies of Cenci!
It would be very nice to know what hotels are open during the winter months and are on the carnevale route, so you could book a room to watch the parada.
Hello Hesselberg,
Thanks for your comment. Viareggio has hundreds of hotels, you can find them all at the official Tuscany booking service here:
http://www.turismo.intoscana.i…
Hope it helps.
If you need anything else, just ask me!
Ciao
Barbara
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