Carnival of Nice

The carnival of Nice is the first Carnaval of France. It is held each winter with Nice during two weeks and accommodates more 1 200 000 visitors.

Origin

The word carnival reveals its direction by two etymological tracks. Most used is: “Edge levare levamen”, “removes the flesh”. This one is directly in connection with Catholicism and the period when one feasts last once before the forty days, of the Lent to Easter. The other definition is, as for it, Païenne: “carrus navalis”, “tank naval”, specific to the boats on which Dionysos, god come from the sea, penetrated in the Greek islands. The latter is oldest, because the carnival, being in winter, was ritualisé to make return spring. The primitive men avoided skin of animal, which explains the many costumes of animals, plants, fruit and vegetables and others in connection with nature still present today.

History

The Carnaval of Nice is the emblematic festival of the event-driven calendar niçois among the few 850 cultural, festive events or sportsmen who are held there each year.

Corso Carnavalesque

The first writes reporting it date of 1294 by the Count de Provence, Charles II duke of Anjou which “comes to pass the festivals of carnival, in his good town of Nice”. In XIVe and XVe centuries, the Carnaval is before a a whole popular holiday. To the Rebirth, the great balls and carnavalesques masquerades were carried out in the narrow streets of the City whereas to the XVIIIe century, the influence of the Venetian carnival supports the masked balls. In second half of the XIXe century, Nice becomes the “capital of winter holiday”. In 1870, the Parisian chaos generated by the Commune made fear with the wintering rich person pertaining to the nobility. In order to promote the town of Nice and to show the serenity which reigns there, a Committee the festivals was created in 1873. This one set up the carnival, in true spectacle, then organized contests of processions of tanks, masquerades and cavalcades for the Fatty Tuesday. Two large artists niçois, Alexis Mossa and his son Gustav-Adolf Mossa, were in turn or together “Ymagiers of Roy”. They are the true spiritual fathers King Carnaval and her Court. Alexis Mossa created the first albums of Carnival which will be used as model with the Carnival of New-Orleans. He will produce the first tank of King Carnaval in 1882 and Mrs to him Carnaval in 1893 will associate. The influence Symboliste of Gustav-Adolf Mossa levels and inspires to him by the characters resulting from the graeco-latin and popular cultures which depict, to the liking of its imagination, the local or international events. Playwright and scenographer of one at the same time satirical and marvellous universe, of an exceptional richness and a variety, it gives to Art Carnavalesque its noble letters and makes of Nice a major city in the world of the festival. February 14th 1882, the traditional puppet of straw and rag who remained motionless on the place of the Prefecture transformed into a royal puppet ravelling like his counterparts. In 1892 appeared, for the first time at Nice, under the name of " Confetti of Paris " , the modern Confetti, in Paper, which had been launched the preceding year, with the Carnaval of Paris. Until 1892, only had been used with the Carnival of Nice, the Confetti in Plâtre, also called " Confetti italien". Used, parallel to the Confetti in Paper, it will be finally interdict in Nice, in 1955. The Carnival does not have escaped with the events of the history. The first and second world war, obviously, played the disorders festivals by preventing the king from leaving. In 1914 and 1939, the king who was “hard Persée PEGASE” and “King of the Joy and the Laughter” are unrolled normally, while in 1915 and 1940 where the carnival was cancelled, the topic let appear a curious irony while being: “King of Insane” and “Lord of the Madness”. This premonition was again carried out in 1991 by announcing a king who never left, another “King of Insane” and that because of the risks of attacks due to the War of the Golf. Since a half century, traditional demonstrations accompany the Carnival. At this period the bath of the Carnival become was created Carnastring and later, other activities like the race of the coffee boys (Carnacourse) and Carnasocca (tasting of the mets traditional niçois, the socca). A committee meets since about thirty years, under the presidency of a personality in order to elect the Queen of the Carnival and its Dauphine. The Queen who will open each battle of flower on her tank will have then the responsibility of represent this festival at the time of official trips. In 1994 the carnival of Nice with for topic " The king of Arts" and utilizes for the first time the artists of " the School of Nice": Arman, Ben Vautier, Claude Gilli, Patrick Moya, Jean Claude Farhi… In 2000, a turning is carried out by calling upon Sergueï, draftsman with the newspaper Le Monde who drew the tanks of the Corsi and of the Batailles of flowers. The same year, the State education and OCCE work with the Tourist bureau and Congresses of Nice on a teaching action having for topic the Carnival. Thus, 1000 schoolboys (2000 in year 2000) follow the King in dance and song. Follows itself from there in 2002, year of the passage to the Euro (and the “King of Euroland”), a call to the draftsmen of the largest international newspapers to become ymagiers the time of a Carnival. Thus, the carnival remains a platform of expression on the current evils of our company. Since 2005, all the demonstrations take place on the Promenade of the English because of the arrival of the Tram. This change of millenium also involved an improvement of the tanks which includes from now on new technologies and materials as well as the collaboration of sculptors.

Alexis Mossa Gustav-Adolf Mossa 1844 - 1926 1883 - 1971

The Battle of flowers

Alphonse Karr (1808-1890) is at the origin of the first Battle of flowers (1876). This French writer of German origin, impassioned by the flowers and resident in Nice, wished a spectacle where people could throw odorous bouquets with the face. Thus in 1876, Andriot Saëtone created the first battle of flowers on the Walk of the English. The Battle of flowers proceeds for the period of Carnival. It is the complement of the caricatures and other grotesque figures of the corsi and is appeared as a parade of 20 flowered tanks where young women and from now on young men launch mimosa to the spectators. Musical troops or of art of street, arrivals of the four corners of the world, take seat between the tanks as for the carnavalesque Corso. At the time of these battles, 90% of the flowers launched like the mimosa, the lily or the daisies, push on the hills of the area. The local producers plant with the autumn the varieties which will constitute the vegetable decoration of the tank, fruit of collaboration with the florists. Between forty and fifty work hours per tank is necessary. This work is all the more difficult as pricking is done at the last time to guarantee the freshness of the flowers. Nowadays, the battle between spectators does not take place any more, it became one launched approximately 100.000 flowers of tank with public, in order to propose the beauty of the costumes and tanks flowered. Since 2005, the topic of the battles of flowers agrees to that of the carnavalesques corsi. One or more plastics technicians is then in load of the visual identity of the tanks. The realization itself, as for it, is ensured by “the Friendly one of the Florists Realizers of Battle of Flowers of the town of Nice”. The costumes are made in a workshop of creation especially dedicated to the Battles of Flowers.

Arts of street

The troops of arts of street referred of Nice on the matter. Coming from the four corners from France and whole world, 15 nations enrich the processions. Each group brings its universe, thus sharing their culture and their imaginary or adapts the topic of the year.

The King of the Carnival

Before the beginning of the Carnival, King Carnaval is able Friday evening on the Walk of the English in order to announce the opening of this period of festival by taking the keys of the city. The King will trônera there throughout all Carnival. The last evening of the Carnival, it ravels only last once, before being flaring on one to rough-hew at sea or sometimes on the strike. A wired for sound fireworks inspired of the topic is then drawn on the Baie from the Angels.

Clothes industry of a tank

The first link in the production line is and the Congress Tourist bureau of Nice which calls with candidature for the creation of twenty drawings in the spirit of the selected topic. Since 2000, the draftsmen of press are the Ymagiers and propose the drawings of the tanks. The executive director and the artistic director select the best proposals of tanks. Since the Law Fir tree, the invitation to tender is of use. This law of 1993 has constrained the very many carnavaliers to gather in company, passing from a hundred families to four or five. A drawing lot is followed then from there to define which Carnavaliers will make which tanks.

Construction itself begins in October in general. It is necessary then:

To erect scaffolding the iron framework (two tons per tank) and the various hydraulic articulations motorized on a platform of 3 m out of 12 m axle-mounted, the whole reaching nearly 8 meters in height.

This structure is seen applied slats of wood or netting where various layers of rigid papers are coupled (mixture of postcards, newspaper, kraft…) with an artisanal adhesive made up of warm water and flour. Then starting from moulds, two methods are employed. On a side, and according to the tradition, one carries out the busts and the faces out of resin or polystyrene, other side, the polyester.

Then comes time from the make-up where five tons of painting are used. And finally the clothes are made with same the mannequins.

With final, the installation of the electric system, for the motorization and lighting, is integrated into the tank.

the record for the size of a tank is held by the " King of very large Mêlée" in 2007, with a Chirac of 13meters top, including nearly six meters only for the head.

Installation

And the Congress Tourist bureau of Nice organizes the carnival since 1996 substitute the festival Committee which had the load of it since 1873. The topic and the dates of the following year are announced the last day of the carnival in progress.

Innovation 2007

Exemption from payment of the promenades.
Creation of a zone of ludic animations in the garden Albert 1st: funambulist, make-up men and the kites generate a festive surface.
160 carnavaleurs play the troublemakers of the festival.

The carnival in figures

General information

2 weeks of festivities including/understanding 3 weekend.
500.000 visitors.
1.500 people are mobilized for each exit of King Carnaval.
150.000 spectators ticket in hand in 2006, for a receipt from approximately 1.5 M€.
30/35 M€ of economic consequences induced by the tourist frequentation restoration, lodging, transport, shopping…

Parades

20 12 m length chars/an on 3 broad and between 8 and 14 m in height.
Including 4 tanks head of the procession which are always the King, the Queen, Carnavalon and the Blower, projecting tank of the confetti.
2 smaller tanks of animation.
30 carnavaliers approximately.
150 famous persons of which about thirty out of paperboard paste. Their weight varies from 1,5 to 12 kg. 5 kg for the famous persons made in plastazote and *1 kg, for the inflatable structures.
60 troops.
1/3d' art of street and music niçoises and regional.
1/3 musical delegations and musical troops arrivals of the whole world.
4.000 work hours distributed over 6 months.
20 tons of confetti.
15 country.
8 groups of 20 carnavaleurs for each territory of Nice is
160 carnavaleurs.

Battle of Flowers

4 to 5.000 stems of fresh flowers
90% of those resulting from the local production, is put out of ground as of November.
7 meters length on 2 meters the broad ones and 6 meters in height.
45 work hours concentrated over 2 days and half
400 foam breads
10 kg of wire
12,5 meters of nettings of garden
2 mannequins per tank launching approximately 20 kg of mimosa and cut flowers.

Media

100 media present.
190 accreditations of journalists.
17% of accreditations out of Daily regional newspaper.
19 different nationalities.

Key dates

1294: First mention of the Carnival by Charles of Anjou, Count de Provence.

1830: First procession in the honor of the sovereigns of Piedmont Sardinia.

1873: Creation of Festival and 1st the corso Committee of Carnival.

1876: Creation of the 1st battle of flowers.

1889: First advertizing poster of the Carnival of Nice.

1892: Appearance of the plaster confettis.

1905: 1st official song of the Carnival.

1921: 1st electric illuminations.

1955: Last battles of plaster confettis.

1984: Carnival celebrates its hundred years of reign.

1996: Carnival is organized by and the Congress Tourist bureau of Nice.

1997: New setting in scene under the impulse of Gad Weil.

2000: The tanks corso and battles of flowers drawn by Sergueï of the World.

2002: Call to ymagiers, draftsmen of press of the whole world.

2005: All the demonstrations take place on the walk of English.

2006: Creation of an original musical band.

2007: Return to the exemption from payment of the promenades.

Topics of the carnival

1873-1881: Carnival in Punchinello.

1882: Triboulet (entered of the 1st royal tank of Carnival on Tuesday, February 14).

1883: Niçois (country endimanché with table).

1884: Punchinello (on a dragon).

1885: Punchinello (on a bottle of champagne).

1886: (not of royal tank).

1887: (not of royal tank).

1888: Punchinello (on an armchair tram).

1889: Yachtman (on Raviolina).

1890: Cyclist.

1891: Niçois (on a barrel).

1892: Rajah (on an elephant).

1893: Weddings of the Carnival and Madam (as a endimanché peasant of Gairaut).

1894: Triboulet (on a large case).

1895: Mikado (on a rickshaw).

1896: Toreador.

1897: Niçois, Cut down-Magus (on a turkey).

1898: Society man (in frac of evening).

1899: Rider Rebirth.

1900: The Dandy of the bohemian life.

1901: Charlatan Homme Orchestrates (upright).

1902: Aeronaut (on an airship).

1903: Rider Rebirth (on a Centaur).

1904: Emperor of the East-Sahara (Jacques 1st).

1905: Bufalo-Bill (on a bicephalous buffalo).

1906: Harlequin-sun (on a blue eagle).

1907: Driver-seducer (with Mrs Carnaval).

1908: Diplomat (of return of the Congress of Peace).

1909: Niçois Cut down-Magus (on a flying machine).

1910: Explorer (of the return of the North pole).

1911: Father (out of dressing gown).

1912: Gargantua and Mona Lisa.

1913: Gentleman (on Tarasque).

1914: Persée on PEGASE.

1915: King of Insane (Cancelled).

1921: Gargantua and the Stork.

1922: Gargantua and the Pont-Vieux.

1923: Fisherman niçois (Bern).

1924: Rajah.

1925: Marquis Louis XV (with Madam).

1926: Orphée (on a cauldron).

1927: Gargantua (King of the toys).

1928: Gargantua (on a blue bird) = fiftieth anniversary of the Carnival.

1929: Hérakles and the dragon with three heads.

1930: Traveller in Africa (in a Malagasy filanzane).

1931: Triboulet Cubiste (on a dragon).

1932: Janus (King of the card deck).

1933: Leader in Frac.

1934: Fêtard in Frac (on a bucket in countryside).

1935: Trainer of Circus.

1936: Junior-Roussel (on a balloon).

1937: Millionaire Of the National Lottery.

1938: King of the Joke and the Radio.

1939: King of the Joy and the Laughter (on one fits with body of Versailles).

1940: Lord of the Madness (Cancelled).

1946: Marquis Louis XV (“me revoilà”).

1947: King of the Cinema (Director: colonial wind-breaker-shorts).

1948: Gargantua: with the Kingdom of GULLIVER (lengthened on the belly).

1949: Astronaut of the Year 2000.

1950: Singer 1900 (Mayol on a bicycle).

1951: At the Fountain.

1952: Maurice Knight (out of dress with squares).

1953: Trainer with the Circus.

1954: King of the Toys: Gargantua.

1955: Prince of the Wise ones: Triboulet (on the back of a madness).

1956: Niçois fisherman (in its boat, Carnavalina).

1957: Gargantua At Pantagruel (on a lobster).

1958: Gargantua Prince of Tourism.

1959: Astronaut/Sun (rocket).

1960: Sun king (out of gilded dress).

1961: Buffoon-toreador (on a green dragon).

1962: Prince of Thousand and One Nights (on the bird of fire).

1963: Gargantua.

1964: Sun king (out of garnet-red velvet).

1965: Musketeer (on Chantecler).

1966: Jockey, king of Tiercé.

1967: Tyrolean Traveller, Prince of the Leisures (its tank is burnt places Masséna).

1968: At Astérix.

1969: Buffoon of the Rebirth (Bi-color).

1970: King of the islands (on a Toucan).

1971: Indian chief - Master of Americas.

1972: With the Rising sun (out of Japanese kimono).

1973: Gargantua (upright) (centenary of the Carnival).

1974: King of the 400 blows “mauve pussy in frac”.

1975: King of the Gastronomy (out of shirt in “Jean”).

1976: As an American Tourist.

1977: Boxer with the Olympiads (on deteriorate).

1978: Sun king (white).

1979: Neptune, King of the Sea and the Oceans.

1980: King of the Track (on a tiger).

1981: King of the Show Business.

1982: King of the Cartoon.

1983: King of the Communication.

1984: Roy of the Centenaries.

1985: King of the Advertizing.

1986: King of the Cities of the World.

1987: King of the Festival.

1988: King of the Riviera.

1989: Carnival with the Country of the Love.

1990: King of the laughter.

1991: King of Insane (Cancellation because of the War of the Gulf).

1992: King of the Kings.

1993: King of Europe.

1994: King of arts.

1995: King of the cinema.

1996: King of the music.

1997: King of the sports.

1998: King of the circus.

1999: King of the XX° century.

2000: King of Odyssées.com.

2001: King of the thousand-year-old III°.

2002: King of Euroland.

2003: King of .com Medi@.

2004: King of Clonerie.

2005: King of the fol Merdaille and Cornipétant.

2006: King of the Easily deceived ones.

2007: King of the very great fray.

2008: King of Ratapignatas, Raminagrobis and other bunches of masked rats. (from February 16th to March 2nd)

See too

External bonds

Official site of the carnival of Nice
Airs of carnival in the traditional music of the county of Nice
on the Battle of the Flowers 2007 (YouTube)
Photograph gallery on the carnival
Site of and the congress tourist bureau of Nice
virtual Visit of the carnival of Nice

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