The Museums

The Carnival Cittadella houses the Carnival Museum, a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history and traditions of the Viareggio Carnival. Alongside this is the Espace Gilbert, which houses temporary exhibitions dedicated to papier-mâché. Furthermore, Oblò is a museum room dedicated to paintings and sculptures by artists of the Viareggio Carnival as well as famous contemporary artists.

The Lorenzo Viani Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Viareggio houses the Carnevalotto Collection, owned by the Fondazione Carnevale.

Carnival Museum, Viareggio

A journey through 150 years of Viareggio Carnival’s history: a timeline from the years 1873 – 2001, the year of the inauguration of the Carnival Cittadella, now a symbol of creativity, culture, and history. Images on display document the artistic evolution of the event, while models tell the story of the places in the city where the Carnival was born and developed, thanks to the artists’ dedication and passion.

Espace Gilbert

Carnival is the world of the ephemeral; these great allegorical constructions last only as long as the six Parades are on display on the promenade. They have a new exhibition space in which their “life” is prolonged beyond the Parades. The Espace Gilbert, which is part of the exhibition layout of the Carnival Museum, showcases a selection of papier-maché works.

Carnevalotto Collection

Carnival and art, an integral part of the historical, artistic, and cultural heritage of the event and the city of Viareggio. This combination is at the heart of the Carnevalotto Collection.
The Carnevalotto Collection is located in an exhibition space at the Viani Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery. It collects the works of the Carnevalotto Award, created by various artists and inspired by the Viareggio Carnival.