www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com

[karne'vale] Cultural note: Carnevale Carnevale is the name given to the period between Epiphany (6 January) and the beginning of Lent, when people throw parties, put on processions with spectacular floats, build bonfires in the "piazze" and dress up infabulous costumes and masks. Building to a peak just before Lent, Carnevale culminates in the festivities of Martedì grasso (Shrove Tuesday). The most famous are the Carnevale di Viareggio with its parade of allegorical floats and the Carnevale di Venezia with open-air shows and balls in the city's squares.