The Carnival Citadel museum is expanded and transformed. Which in the record season could not fail to record a boom in attendance. To date (understood as the end of May) admissions (5 euro ticket) have already been over 20 thousand, a figure which, in fact, almost equals that of 2023, when, over the course of the entire 12 months, attendance was 23,467, ensuring a turnover of approximately 90 thousand euros. That Burlamacco, with the support of the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, invests in expanding the offer. Work will begin shortly (investment of 120 thousand euros) to create the entrance portico for the Citadel’s museum and bar. The project was drawn up by the architect Tomassi, designer of the Citadel itself. In the background, as we know, the 20 million euro mega project carried out by Navigo and the municipality of Viareggio to cover the entire Citadel. An innovative structure, however, still in the experimental phase. “The Citadel museum – said the mayor Giorgio Del Ghingaro – integrates and enriches the city’s museum offering which has grown in recent years. In this process the Carnival, which is a source of pride for Viareggio, also plays its part.
We talk about the citadel museum, but in reality we should talk about the museum complex because there are more points to visit. The actual museum is on the first floor of the building which also houses the bar and headquarters of the Foundation. On the second floor, however, the archive of historical documents has been created. Then there is hangar 16 where Lebigre’s gigantic ballerina is placed, as well as some new entries, including the dog ‘Salù’ who seemed alive on Jacopo Allegrucci’s wagon. And anyone who wants can also try their hand at activating the movements. Without forgetting that each warehouse, before being a work site, is a museum.
“When we started setting up the museum by entrusting the task to the director Martinelli, I would never have imagined – said the president Marialina Marcucci – that we would get to this point. A continually evolving museum that manages to tell the story of Viareggio, of Versilia and the world. Carnival is joy and fun, but it is also a great organizational model. We on the Foundation’s board of directors provide input and provide encouragement, but then there is a whole team that works well and in unison. Only in this way can these great results be achieved.”
Doing the honors on this journey into the history of the most beautiful popular event in Italy is the director Roberta Martinelli who avails herself of the collaboration of Andrea Mazzi for the cataloging of the archive documents and of the Hart company, for welcoming and receiving visitors. “The Carnival museum is particular because it is the only one that can exhibit works produced on site, while all the other museums have to go looking for them. With the museum we have the possibility of making Carnival live all year round, trying to involve especially children and school groups from Italy and abroad”.
All of this, as everyone has underlined, would not be possible without the contribution of the Crl Foundation. “We are proud – said president Marcello Bertocchini – to do our part and to support the many cultural initiatives of the Municipality and the Carnival”.
Paolo Di Grazia
