Although this year's Carnivale in Venice drew record-breaking crowds, Carnivale in Rome appears to be primarily child-oriented. For about ten days before Lent, neighborhood children could be seen at our local Piazza San Cosimato playground tossing confetti and sporting Carnivale costumes (boys mostly in superhero garb & girls mostly princesses). A few children in Daniela's class had Carnivale parties: [below]
Bakeries displayed special seasonal Carnivale treats (cream puffs or fried pasta dusted in powdered sugar), and some other shops and trattorias adorned their display windows with masks or confetti. But overall, for those of us not oriented towards the neighborhood's nighlt clubs, Carnivale in Trastevere was decidedly low key. On Fat Tuesday, Daniela's class wore their costumes to school and paraded over to Piazza Mastai in the afternoon, along with their teachers and older schoolmates (which I missed since I was teaching). However, the previous Sunday we'd visited Rome's Garbatella neighborhood for a birthday party and happened upon a lively little Carnivale parade:
Some watched the parade from the sidelines, while others opted for the comfort of their windows:
The parade ended in a neighborhood square where costumed children threw still more confetti while parents caught up with friends:
The Garbatella neighborhood where the parade took place is a fascinating pocket of Rome. Originally constructed in the 1920s as a planned community for workers and immigrants, its now considered a neighborhood ripe for gentrification. Lead architects Sabbatini and Giovannoni designed low rise buildings with large gardens and public spaces where they envisioned diverse community members could mingling harmoniously. Here are some images:
Many of the buildings have little flourishes that one would not expect to find in workers' housing-- sculpted drainpipes, wrought iron balconies, and decorative urns.
Although this year's Carnivale in Venice drew record-breaking crowds, Carnivale in Rome appears to be primarily child-oriented. For about ten days before Lent, neighborhood children could be seen at our local Piazza San Cosimato playground tossing confetti and sporting Carnivale costumes (boys mostly in superhero garb & girls mostly princesses). A few children in Daniela's class had Carnivale parties: [below]
Bakeries displayed special seasonal Carnivale treats (cream puffs or fried pasta dusted in powdered sugar), and some other shops and trattorias adorned their display windows with masks or confetti. But overall, for those of us not oriented towards the neighborhood's nighlt clubs, Carnivale in Trastevere was decidedly low key. On Fat Tuesday, Daniela's class wore their costumes to school and paraded over to Piazza Mastai in the afternoon, along with their teachers and older schoolmates (which I missed since I was teaching). However, the previous Sunday we'd visited Rome's Garbatella neighborhood for a birthday party and happened upon a lively little Carnivale parade:
Some watched the parade from the sidelines, while others opted for the comfort of their windows:
The parade ended in a neighborhood square where costumed children threw still more confetti while parents caught up with friends:
The Garbatella neighborhood where the parade took place is a fascinating pocket of Rome. Originally constructed in the 1920s as a planned community for workers and immigrants, its now considered a neighborhood ripe for gentrification. Lead architects Sabbatini and Giovannoni designed low rise buildings with large gardens and public spaces where they envisioned diverse community members could mingling harmoniously. Here are some images:
Many of the buildings have little flourishes that one would not expect to find in workers' housing-- sculpted drainpipes, wrought iron balconies, and decorative urns.
