Viareggiois a city andcomunein northernTuscany, Italy, on the coast of theTyrrhenian Sea. It is known as a seaside resort as well as being the home of the famouscarnival of Viareggio(dating back to 1873), and itspapier-mâchéfloats, which (since 1925), parade along the promenade known as "Passeggiata a mare", in the weeks preceding Easter. The symbol of the carnival of Viareggio and its official mask isBurlamacco, designed and invented byUberto Bonettiin 1930.
The city traces its roots back to the first half of the 16th century when it became the only gate to the sea for theRepublic of Lucca. The oldest building in Viareggio, known asTorre Matilde, dates back to this time and was built by the Lucchesi in 1541 as a defensive fortification to fight the constant menace ofcorsairincursions.