Cittadella and Carnival Museum
Explore the magic of the papier-mâché floats
The Carnival Museum is inside the Cittadella (the Carnival Town) designed by the architect Francesco Tomassi. There visitors can learn about the history of Viareggio Carnival, one of the most famous in Europe. They can also study the techniques used to make the enormous papier-mâché carnival floats.
The museum follows all the various stages of the carnival float-making process, from design to finished product. Visitors are shown the local Viareggio limestone mix used to make up the papier-mâché.
Another material used for the floats is clay. There are models of heads, examples of bas-relief, free standing figures and models of animals, all of which can show the skills and craftsmanship of the float makers with their ability to transform into a paroldy the wikness of modern society.
Some of the works on display can be moved using wires or levers, so that visitors can examine better the movements of the floats.
They can also take a look at old carnival posters and photos dating back to the 1930s. There are also scale models of some famous floats that took part in the past parades along Viareggio seafront.
Accessibility information: regione.toscana.it
