By Dot Anderson

A highlight of travel to Italy in the first quarter of the year is Carnival Season or as they say Carnevale. Celebrations are held roughly 40 days before Easter which falls on March 31st this year. The biggest, most elaborate Carnevale celebration always takes place in Venice, and if you hurry you may still have time to find accommodations there. If not, celebrating Carnevale in Tuscany's Mediterranean coastal town of Viareggio (about 70 miles west of Florence) is a great Plan B.

Carnevale di Viareggio parades will be held on Febraury 5, 12, 18, 26 and 28. This resort town goes all out for this annual carnival season with parades along its beachfront promenade featuring papier-mache floats similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Costumed revelers, concerts and masked balls highlight the season when the town's population of 64,000 swells by an additional 800,000 or so from those dropping by for Carnevale.

Read more

Fonte: L'italo-Americano