One Festival you have to see in your lifetime: Carnevale di Venezia
Updated: June 2023
If there is one festival that you must experience in your lifetime, it is the Carnevale di Venezia (Carnival of Venice). This unique carnival is celebrated to allow people to masquerade themselves and indulge in their secret fantasies and illusions, which is why masks and costumes are such an integral part of the festivities.
Celebrated every February, the carnival transforms the entire city into a vibrant and spectacular display of color as its citizens don their masks and costumes. In the past, the festival used to run from December 26th all the way to Ash Wednesday, but today it is a ten-day extravaganza where people put on masks and colorful costumes to become the characters of their own fantasies. With their true identities hidden, they take to the streets to participate in the festivities.
The carnival features many shows and performances, with Piazza San Marco being the main hub of activity, especially on Jeudi (Thursday) and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the most important days of the carnival. Other parts of the city also host street performances, parades, and other attractions.
The origins of the carnival can be traced back to 1162 A.D., when it was first celebrated in honor of Venice’s victory against Ulrich, the Patriarca of Aquileia. It reached its peak in the 1700s when it began to attract visitors from all over Europe. A mini-industry emerged to manufacture more masks and costumes (mostly made of heavy velvets for cloaks and capes) for use by more people participating in the occasion.
In those days, kings, princes, and other European royalty would take part in the Carnival to enjoy themselves on the city’s squares and streets. Today, it is still celebrated by the whole city, with tourists watching and joining in on open-air celebrations, including public shows and private parties organized and held in Venetian palaces.
The symbol of Carnival is undoubtedly the mask. These are created by skilled craftsmen who have inherited their art from past masters. These handcrafted masks are quite expensive but are available all over Venice.
The most famous and fashionable mask (and costume) is the unisex “Bauta”. The whole ensemble consists of a black tricorn hat, a black cloak, and a white papier-mâché mask that leaves the mouth area uncovered for eating and drinking. The “Moretta” is a black oval mask with holes only for the eyes. There is also a cat mask called “Gnaga” and a “plague doctor” mask with a long nose or beak.
The tradition of wearing masks during the festival dates back to the 12th century, but it was only officially deemed proper in 1608. Since then, mask-making has been handled by masters with only a handful considered to be among the best.
The importance of Carnival in Venice can be seen all year round with fancy dresses on display in stores. If you visit the city at any time of year, you will find mask-making shops hard at work creating this beautiful symbol of the festival. It is as if all days of the year are solely in preparation for Carnival.
