A tradition that was already is use at the end of the 15th century, as detailed in the Municipal Historical Archive, and has continued throughout the centuries. In the 19th century the carpets were made with flowers and finished on the sides with sawdust (locally called «Pula») and they were made in the occasion of the Corpus Domini as a welcome for the reigning lords of the Lucca state who were sojourning in the villas of the Versilia coast.
The carpets today are made only with sawdust, which, owing to apposite aniline tints take on different hues, and they are the result of a long work by the local craftsmen, the «Tappetari» of Camaiore. For months, they study the patterns, colour the sawdust and in one night create the magical carpets which will then be destroyed with the Corpus Domini procession the next morning.

Every year 15 groups of craftsmen, made up of a number of people varying from 10 to 50, are entrusted a road space that is normally 40-50 metres long and 3 metres wide. The result of this long work is these magical sawdust carpets which, with the depiction of sacred images, renaissance paintings and patterns of great chromatic effect, astonish visitors.
(Photo: G. Domenici)

May.2002

Municipality of Camaiore
APT Versilia