This
year marks the 136th anniversary of the Viareggio Carnival, Tuscany’s most
renowned winter festival, famous for its inventive floats that mix allegory,
jest, and jeer.
As ever, the carnival,
which this year runs from February 7 to March 1, finds ample inspiration in
current issues and politics and celebrates futurist genius Uberto Bonetti,
creator of the Burlamacco, the official symbol of the Viareggio Carnival.
The floats for 2009
feature old and new figures from the world of politics and TV. One float will
depict influential TV presenter and prolific author Bruno Vespa as the
larger-than-life ‘King Kong’ of television. Another float features the
adventures of Equal Opportunities minister Mara Carfagna during her recent
crusade to banish prostitution. Float designers in Viareggio also caught Obama
fever: the new U.S. president is shown trying to harness the economic crisis.
Characters old to
Viareggio include a ‘cannibal’ Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi as he
‘cooks up’ his political friends and foes. Other floats will represent some of
Italy’s new and chronic issues, such as civil service slackers, illegal
immigration, and the recent downfall of centre-left politics.
Seaside processions are
scheduled on February 8, 15, 22 and 24, when 11 enormous floats will parade,
competing in two size categories.
For more information,
see www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com.
