It might be cold outside, but that doesn’t mean we can’t party.
February in the Maremma means one word: Carnevale.
Our celebrations aren’t as bright or as a extravagant as Venice or Rio de Janeiro, but, heck, we come close. Carnevale is a time to let loose. It’s a concept that most English-speaking countries know little about.
The roots of the festival are actually Catholic. The celebrations are meant to be one last hurrah before Lent and 40 days of piety, modesty and moderation.
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In the Maremma, the religious significance has fallen a little to wayside in a wave of confetti and silly string. Out of all the celebrations of the year, this is the one that fills me with the most joy, the most glee.
This is the festival for families. For the children in their gorgeous little costumes that will make you smile. The cross-dressing teens covered in shaving cream and the tonnes of confetti that cover the asphalt.
Carnevale officially started this weekend, 15 February, but there’s still plenty to come.
My top pick is Follonica. No one celebrates better. Follonica welcomes Carnevale with three weekends-worth of float parades.
I was at the first parade this year as it exploded onto Follonica’s streets. The floats are simply magnificent, simply breathtaking. They’re each designed by a different precinct in the city and headed by a group of dancing teens and children.
You can hear the pumping South American music from the next town over. There are no barriers between you and the floats, so you need to be careful not to get run over by the old man driving the tractor that’s pulling the float. He’s only doing 5km/h, but you still don’t want that thing rolling over your foot.
Amid the floats are stalls selling everything that is sweet and sticky – praline, candied nuts, candy, candy floss – enough to get the kids hyped if you can get them to stop spraying streamers and silly string long enough to eat them. The whole experience is a little like being at an Italian carnival fair.
Entry onto the float grounds at the centre of the city is €3. You can catch more floats every weekend from now until 4 March. Check out the full programme here.
Other notable Carnevale celebrations
Orbetello puts on a sophisticated celebration with a bunch of masked parades by the laguna on 23 Feb, 2 March, 4 March and 9 March. The competition has been held since the 1950s with categories for each age group.
These aren’t shop bought costumes, but really elegant pieces. The 1954 winner wore a ball gown worthy of Scarlet from Gone with the Wind.
Manciano holds their own masked parades on 23 Feb, 27 Feb, 1 March, 2 March and 4 March at 2pm in Piazza Garibaldi. Nearby Montemerano joins in the fun with their own float parade.
Montorgiali near Scansano celebrates on 23 February with jesters, fire eaters, face painting, food stalls and something they describes as goloserie (literally, gluttony). Children and children at heart will be showing their costumes off in a parade from 3:30pm.
Grosseto celebrates from 3pm on 1 March with a costume competition in Piazza Dante for our four legged friends. The best dressed pet wins a prize. After that there will be dancers and street performers throughout the evening!