Although nearly all of the sagre and festivals in Tuscany occur during the summer and autumn months one of the best actually takes place in winter, Carnevale in Viareggio.  Rooted in pagan ritual, but adapted to Catholicism, Carnevale here is similar to others around the world.  The “feast before the famine” if you will.  In Viareggio Carnevale has been an institution since 1873, with pauses for both World Wars and competes with  Carnevale in Venice, but the parade in Viareggio trumps Venice.  Even though the daily temperatures during the event hover near 12C 52F during the day and 3C 38F at night that does not stop anyone from indulging in the last big party before Lent. All one needs is a few layers of warm clothing and a healthy attitude.

There is a fabulous parade every Sunday for the duration of the event, with satirical floats, dancing, fireworks and of course, food. If the words “fresh from the sea” set your mouth to watering you will be in heaven here. In addition to all of the restaurants along the normal “passegiato” being open for extended hours you will find vendors along the parade route ready to satisfy nearly all your pagan urges.

It is highly recommended if you are able to book ahead and find a hotel room in Viareggio to do so. If you are staying in Pisa or Florence the last train from Viareggio leaves a little after 10pm when even the three year olds are still out and about.  As with all festivals in Italy, this is a family friendly affair with distractions for everyone. This is an experience I highly recommend, you can not be disappointed if you have any fun genes.

www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com gives a brief history in both English and Italian of the event and the parade dates are in the upper left hand corner. I recommend a Saturday and Sunday to spend one day prior to the parade there and believe the final weekend is the most fun, March first this year, and hope you have as much fun as I have.