Satire and creativity, the contemporary in Follonica

It is one of the most eagerly awaited events in the whole of Tuscany. The Follonica Carnival is not only an event that transforms the city into an explosion of colours, music and emotions with its colourful floats, but also represents a strong collective desire to celebrate authentic values such as friendship, collaboration and resilience. It stands out from the others because it is not rooted in medieval traditions, but is a contemporary event, which through creativity and satire deals with themes that are always topical, telling the story of today's society and inviting reflection on that of tomorrow. What is known as Carnevale Maremmano is a tradition that has its roots in 1910, when the first parades of horse-drawn allegorical floats were organised in the 1920s. In the immediate post-war period, the parade traditions were renewed with allegorical floats linked to the first four historical districts and, after pauses and restarts, the Follonica Carnival reached its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. Today it is a consolidated reality as a satirical and desecrating event, a kermis revived to recover old local customs. For the 2026 edition, Rione 167 Ovest is ready to parade, among others, with "I want it All", a political satire made in the USA that sees Donald Trump as a voracious spider who wants everything, between irony and topicality; Rione Capannino with "Leggere ti fa viaggiare" (Reading makes you travel), a journey made of fantasy among coloured aeroplanes and hot-air balloons that enhance the magic of books; Rione Cassarello with "Where Is My Mind?" where artificial intelligence becomes a mirror of man but in which the latter rediscovers the value of doubt and chooses to dance with the machine.