February can be a dreary month, which is why carnival is a wonderful opportunity to inject some colour, fun and festive spirit into your life. In Italy, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to carnival celebrations, with plenty of towns and cities hosting events.

Sure, Venice's celebration may be the biggest and best known, but it's far from being the only one worth a visit this carnival season. Here's our pick of the best of the rest, wherever you are in Italy.