Cento is a city in Emilia Romagna and its name referes to the centuriation of the Po Valley.
I found these info about Cento’s Carnival on blog dolce vita.
The Carnival of Cento, near Ferrara, has a long tradition; back in the Renaissance it even drew the attention and admiration of such a great painter as Guercino who painted the Berlingaccio, the famous local mask, in one of his magnificent frescoes at Palazzo Comunale where the city council, every year, used to host a great party to celebrate the Carnival, with wine flowing freely and people going wild .
It’s true that the Carnival of Cento (twinned with the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro since 1993) has over the years grown wilder and wilder and now many see it as the most transgressive in Europe.
The Viareggio Carnival was established in 1873 when some of the local “signori” decided to organize a Sunday a little different from the rest, by inventing a procession of decorated floats which travelled up and down the main street of the city.
On that occasion a masked protest was also organized by a number of citizens, as they were forced to pay too many taxes and as a result the chief tax collector was certainly made fun of!! The parade was liked a lot not only by the patrons but also by the citizens and the idea of making floats that interpreted humour and disatisfaction of the people came about in that year.
Since then Viareggio has become the home of the Italian Carnival, with its masked parades characterized by allegorical floats in papermache. These floats are true works of art to which the local float makers dedicate an entire year of workmanship.
There is not one politician, entertainer, or intellectual that has not been a target (protagonist) of one of these floats which almost comes to life during the parade by the moving arms, opening and closing mouths and rolling eyes. On every float young people and children find a place from which to throw confetti and shooting stars to the crowd. During the entire period masked balls and parties in the various “rioni” (quarters, districts) are organized as well as numerous sports and cultural events i.e. “Torneo Internazionale giovanile di calcio”.
The official Viareggio Carnival mask is the “Burlamacco”, a clown which wears clothes taken from other Italian masks: checkered overalls, taken from the Harlequin’s costume, a white ponpon stolen from Pierrot’s big puffy blouse, a white gorget - “Captain Scary” style, a red headband and a black mantle. The name Burlamacco derives from Buffalmacco a Florentine painter and a character in the “Decamerone”. However, it is also said to be linked to the Lucchese surname Burlamacchi.
This article is taken from Vacanze in Versilia.
Italian version.
If you are planning to visit Florence, even if just for a week end, I advice to book a hotel in the city centre.
A central accommodation is perfect for who wants to visit the city by foot, without needing buses: for the one that wants to go round and round without the fear of arriving behind schedule.
Moreover, in the historic centre you can find a hotel made inside an historic palace.
The Hotel Santa Croce, for example, is situated in an ancient area of Florence, where there’s the Basilica of Santa Croce, and has created an ancient Florentine atmosphere also on its inside.
The hotel is placed near to monuments and historical buildings, like Michaelangelo’s house, the Uffizi Gallery, Santa Croce square and the Ponte Vecchio.
A perfect location to visit Florence!
Italian version.
Near Navona square, in the centre of Rome, there’s a friendly bed and breakfast that I found delightful: La Danesina B&B.
They have few rooms, I think only 3, and the atmosphere is really warm and comfortable. Obviously, it also is very central.
The b&b owners also have the restaurant La Danesina, that is situated in the same building. I think this is a quality guarantee: it’s not easy for a touristic business to survive in the centre of Rome, because of the competitors, just imagine that they have 2 businesses which both have success…
Italian version.
