Art is one of the most powerful expressions of human creativity.
Through art, we interpret the world around us and offer new readings of it. Shapes, colours, and languages become the tools through which we tell the story of our time. The Viareggio Carnival is no exception—through the creativity of its artists, it stands as a vibrant, irreverent, and playful form of free expression. Behind the smiles and satire lies provocation—designed to spark thought and reflection. Even the Church, with its figures, symbols, and rituals, often finds itself involved in this secular liturgy known as the Corso Mascherato, where themes and interpretations enter into open dialogue.

The decision to depict religious figures and symbols is relatively recent. This kind of expressive freedom only began to emerge in allegorical floats and masquerades in the 1980s, although the first reference to the Church can be traced back to 1963 with Porcherie d’oggi, a masquerade ensemble by Giovanni Lazzarini. This controversial piece criticised food frauds, depicting large papier-mâché pigs dressed as priests administering last rites to a horse destined for slaughter. The piece was seized by Public Security authorities, and the legal proceedings continued for years.

It wasn’t until 1980 that a papier-mâché master revisited this theme, with a sketch featuring a Pope. However, Arnaldo Galli’s concept—despite his numerous accolades—remained only on paper. That figure never made it onto the float Scherzando con le lacrime agli occhi (“Joking with Tears in One’s Eyes”). The time was not yet ripe for Messaggero di Pace, the 1986 float by artist Paolo Lazzari, entirely dedicated to Pope John Paul II. From that point on, the Church has continued to capture the interest of Carnival artists.

This polycentric exhibition, held in several churches across Viareggio in the year of the Jubilee, is the brainchild of H.E. Mons. Paolo Giulietti, Archbishop of Lucca, and is presented by the Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio.
It is a journey through a selection of sketches and photographs preserved in the Historical Archive of the Carnival Museum at the Cittadella in Viareggio—
an experience designed to make us smile and reflect on the key themes and figures of our contemporary world.

Concept: H.E. Mons. Paolo Giulietti, Archbishop of Lucca
Produced by: Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio
Curated by: Andrea Mazzi, Carnival Museum, Viareggio
Editorial Coordination and Communication: Alessandra Delle Fave and Olimpia Niglio

Exhibition Locations – Churches of Viareggio:

• Church of Sant’Antonio, Corso Garibaldi 155

• Church of Sant’Andrea, Via Paolina Bonaparte 38

• Church of San Paolino (Mother Church), Via Sant’Andrea 221

• Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Via Zanardelli 176

• Church of Santa Rita, Via dei Lecci 95

• Church of San Giovanni Bosco, Via Maroncelli 332