Carnevale di Venezia isn’t Italy’s only famous carnival; a seaside Tuscan town hosts another famous carnival, Carnevale di Viareggio. In fact, Carnevale di Viareggio attracts over 1 million spectators every year. And long before I was donning a glamorous Marie Antoinette wig and gown and masquerading at Venice’s biggest annual party, I experienced my first Italian carnival in Viareggio…
When in Italy, do as the Italians do!
…dressed as a duck. Yes, that is a yellow beak on my head.
Let me paint the picture for you of how exactly I came to be dressed as a duck. My friend Jess, the blue dolphin (pretty sure I recall a lot of wine at dinner to get her to wear that getup), and I decided to take a trip to Italy in 2006. We saved for months and spent many Friday nights pouring over guidebooks planning our trip. Jess’ family had hosted two Italian exchange students a few years earlier, one from near Milan and the other from Viareggio, who we planned to visit. We mapped our route from Rome to Milan and back, perfectly timing our visit to Tuscany with Carnevale di Viareggio festivities. And off to Italy we went, just in time for the Winter Olympics and Carnevale!
At Giovanna’s house in Viareggio, she wouldn’t hear of it for Jess and I to attend Carnevale in our regular clothes. It would just be taboo! In Viareggio, it’s not Carnevale if you’re not dressed up in something strange (ridiculous?). So Giovanna’s family went into a frenzy pulling out bags of costumes from years-gone-by and shoving them at Jess and I try on. Black duck it was for me and blue dolphin for Jess.
At a Rione
Live bands get the crowds going at Rione
We’ve had a lot of wine…
Giovanna took us to Rione, the neighborhood feasts where people eat, dance, sing, and mainly drink in one massive street party. Mobile stages make their way through the streets with live DJs blasting the latest Italian hits, sending the crowd into a singing, jumping up-and-down frenzy until the wee hours of the morning. Other mobile stands provide sustenance for the night like tortelli, an egg pasta filled with meat and meat ragu sauce, or french fries. And the wine flows as the party gets wilder and wilder.
A float at Carnevale di Viareggio
Is that George Bush?
Carnevale goers drag themselves home in the early hours of the morning and grab a quick nap before the excitement of the afternoon giant papier-mâché floats parade along Viareggio’s seafront. Serious float worshipers can even get up extra early and wander around the giant floats at the warehouses where Masters of Viareggio literally spend all year creating these fantastical moving theaters.
Papier-mâché was actually invented in 1925 by a manufacturer from Viareggio named Antonio D’Arliano. And so every year artisans compete for who can build the most spectacular float over 20 meters high. It’s been a cultural tradition for 140 years in Viareggio and a triple cannon shot out over the sea signals the official start to the parade.
Know Before You Go
- Carnevale di Viareggio 2013 parades takes place on February 3, 10, 12, 17 and March 3. The parades start at 3pm, except on February 10 when it will begin at 4pm and on February 12 when it will begin at 2:50pm.
- Tickets to the parade are €15 per adult and €10 per child. Children under 10 are free. Military rates are available for €10 per person with military ID. Parking is €8 per car.
- Rioni are free to attend.
- Viareggio is easily reached by train from Rome, Florence, Pisa, Milan, or Venice. The arrival station is Viareggio. Check the timetable here.
Jennifer Dombrowski
Jennifer Dombrowski is a location independent globe trotter and bases herself in Prata di Pordenone, Italy. She works as a social media and innovation strategist in higher education and is a regular contributor on johnnyjet.com. Her website, jdombstravels.com, is the 2012 Destinology Travel Bloggy Best Newcomer award winner. Google+
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We’re Jennifer and Tim and we love traveling! We are just one ordinary couple who have found that travel brought us closer together, taught us patience, the art of compromise, and how to truly appreciate the diversity of this extraordinary world. So far, we've visited 37 countries, lived in the United States and Italy, and Tim has lived in Korea. And we do it all while both holding down full time jobs. 
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Arianwen
January 27, 2013 at 8:14 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
You look good as a duck! I remember when I took part in Queen’s Day in Holland, it was the opposite situation. My Aussie friend and I were head to toe in orange and our Dutch hosts barely acknowledged the dress code. We thought we’d overdone it till we saw people in full-body lycra and about 50 oompa loompas
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 28th, 2013 at 1:40 pm
That’s too funny! At least you fit in! I’m so glad that our host Giovanna did make us dress up; we would have stood out like tourists for sure had we not been in our ridiculous costumes.
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Ali
January 29, 2013 at 5:12 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
That looks so silly! But I’m sure it was fun! (I thought George Bush for that picture too.)
Ali recently posted..Is “What If” Stopping You From Traveling?
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 29th, 2013 at 6:39 pm
Definitely silly but it was so much fun! It’s a miracle my friend and I even remember it because we both had walking pneumonia for almost our entire trip to Italy.
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Sandra Tortorella
January 30, 2013 at 1:02 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
How interesting! I live in Lunigiana and am only about an hour away from Viareggio, and often spend the day there, as it's so lovely. But I have never experienced the carnival! I will certainly be doing so this year! Thank you for such an informative post.
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Rosalind Ann Giddings Reply:
January 31st, 2013 at 8:30 am
And there's and English shop.
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Makara
February 3, 2013 at 1:49 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Where in Viareggio are the parades held? Is it walking distance from the train station?
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:51 am
Hi Makara! The parade is held along the waterfront promenade. It is about 2 kilometers walking from the train station.
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Makara
February 3, 2013 at 2:10 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Thank you very much! We will be going on Shrove Tuesday. Wasn’t sure whether to ride our bikes or take the train. Be well!
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 3rd, 2013 at 6:35 pm
Have fun! I would love to get back to the Viareggio Carnevale sometime. It was such great fun!
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