Fodor's Expert Review Carnevale

For four Sundays and Shrove Tuesday preceding Lent, this little seaside town produces its world-famous Carnevale, with intricate floats, or carri, representing Italy's most influential celebrities and politicians and sometimes the famous and infamous from around the world. Started in the late 1800s, the Viareggio Carnevale differs from that held in Venice because of its parades of huge and fantastical floats. Traditionally, they were put together by Viareggio's shipbuilders, and the masked celebrants were civil and political protesters. Today, the floats still used as a vehicle to lampoon popular figures. Other events—music, parties, and art displays—also take place during Carnevale. The crowds are huge, with many attending in costume.