Sawdust carpets in Camaiore

Since 1400 Camaiore has celebrated Corpus Domini with a procession, which is preceded by the famous creation of sawdust carpets. These are true works of art in shapes and colors, created on Saturday night alone by the town's artisans. At dawn on Sunday, in fact, the carpets are ready to be admired, but only for a few hours, because they will be destroyed by the procession of faithful.

The tradition of carpets dates back to the 19th century, when Spanish servants in the service of the Bourbons made flower carpets to welcome their lords to their homes in Versilia. It seems, in fact, that it was some servants who advised the people of Camaiore to celebrate the Corpus Domini procession by decorating the streets of the town with carpets of flowers.

Over time, the flowers were replaced by sawdust, because it was much more flexible and with a greater chromatic variation.

Access to see the making of the carpets and the procession is free and open to all.