The earliest records establish the carnival's existence in 1294, when the Count of Provence, Charles Anjou, wrote that he had passed "the joyous days of carnival."[1] This may make the Nice Carnival the original carnival celebration.
In 1873, a committee was created for the Carnival, headed by local artist Alexis Mossa [fr], with later contributions from his son Gustav-Adolf Mossa. The Carnival was reinvented into a parade,[2] adding masquerades, satirical floats, and competitions.[3]
Today, the two-week event attracts over a million visitors to Nice every year.
Each year, a special theme is chosen, and artists create 18 floats and other figurines in traditional papier-mâché for the colorful parade. The parades take place day and night, while on the Promenade des Anglais, "flower battles" occur.
