Carnival of Venice, Italy
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Carnival of Venice, Italy History
Carnival of Venice, Italy History
Venetian masks and masquerade masks have livened up
exciting parties for a long time. The Venetian Carnival is
one of the oldest and most enchanting festivals in Europe.
Nobody knows when the Venetians actually started
wearing Masks even though in Venice Carnival officially
began on Boxing Day, December 26, and reached its
climax on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash
Wednesday. But in the 18th century dressing up and
anonymous games with masks were an inseparable part
of the Venetian daily life and society. So in the old Republic
Carnival seemed to go on almost all year long, or so it
must have appeared to the visitors to the city. The Venetian
fashion of wearing masks brought with it many advantages
and freedoms, which must have seemed close to paradise
for many foreign visitors.
Where did the word "carnival" come from?Hundred and
hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic
religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild
costume festival right before the first day of Lent. Because
Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they
called their festival, "carnevale" which means; "to put
away the meat" As time passed, carnivals in Italy became
quite famous; and in fact the practice spread to France,
Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as
the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control
of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought
with them their tradition of celebrating carnival.
Venetian masks and masquerade masks have livened up
exciting parties for a long time. The Venetian Carnival is
one of the oldest and most enchanting festivals in Europe.
Nobody knows when the Venetians actually started
wearing Masks even though in Venice Carnival officially
began on Boxing Day, December 26, and reached its
climax on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash
Wednesday. But in the 18th century dressing up and
anonymous games with masks were an inseparable part
of the Venetian daily life and society. So in the old Republic
Carnival seemed to go on almost all year long, or so it
must have appeared to the visitors to the city. The Venetian
fashion of wearing masks brought with it many advantages
and freedoms, which must have seemed close to paradise
for many foreign visitors.
Where did the word "carnival" come from?Hundred and
hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic
religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild
costume festival right before the first day of Lent. Because
Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they
called their festival, "carnevale" which means; "to put
away the meat" As time passed, carnivals in Italy became
quite famous; and in fact the practice spread to France,
Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as
the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control
of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought
with them their tradition of celebrating carnival.
Ordinary Venetian citizens dressed in costume made of expensive fabric could feel like wealthy
noblemen. Rich and poor celebrated together throughout the city and the astute Senate, which
recognized this as an escape valve for social unrest, pronounced that no one wearing a mask was
superior to any another. Even gamblers wore masks to remain anonymous and also women, protected
by masks, could make secret trysts and yet be seen in public. So the "mask"; became an outlet for
many to depart from the mainstream life they were leading. The mask invents the new personality to
outward view and lets you behave in a different way. During the Carnival St. Mark Square became the
centre of celebration, but also the another "campi" (little square) and the main thoroughfares were
thronged with people dancing, singing and playing games. St. Mark Square, described as the world's
greatest dining room, was like a huge open-air ballroom and near the entrance of the square floating
stage appears though the lagoon mist.
The final day "Marted Grasso" or Shrove Tuesday, was the climatic day of the Carnival, when
processions wander up and down the Grand Canal. Hundreds of fairy lights and lanterns are reflected
in the waters of the canals and Venice itself became a unique great stage. With the fall of the Venetian
Republic at the end of the 18th century, the use and tradition of masks gradually began to decline, until
they disappeared altogether.
In 1979, a group of young Venetians interested in theatre and culture had the idea of reviving the
Carnival in Venice. Now the visitors that crowd Venice in the last week before the beginning of the Lent
reach the figure of more than 500.000 and the traditional spirit of the Carnival pervades again the city. &
Identities again become confused. The division between reality and illusion, between past and present,
never very clearly defined in Venice at any time, indistinguishably merge.
noblemen. Rich and poor celebrated together throughout the city and the astute Senate, which
recognized this as an escape valve for social unrest, pronounced that no one wearing a mask was
superior to any another. Even gamblers wore masks to remain anonymous and also women, protected
by masks, could make secret trysts and yet be seen in public. So the "mask"; became an outlet for
many to depart from the mainstream life they were leading. The mask invents the new personality to
outward view and lets you behave in a different way. During the Carnival St. Mark Square became the
centre of celebration, but also the another "campi" (little square) and the main thoroughfares were
thronged with people dancing, singing and playing games. St. Mark Square, described as the world's
greatest dining room, was like a huge open-air ballroom and near the entrance of the square floating
stage appears though the lagoon mist.
The final day "Marted Grasso" or Shrove Tuesday, was the climatic day of the Carnival, when
processions wander up and down the Grand Canal. Hundreds of fairy lights and lanterns are reflected
in the waters of the canals and Venice itself became a unique great stage. With the fall of the Venetian
Republic at the end of the 18th century, the use and tradition of masks gradually began to decline, until
they disappeared altogether.
In 1979, a group of young Venetians interested in theatre and culture had the idea of reviving the
Carnival in Venice. Now the visitors that crowd Venice in the last week before the beginning of the Lent
reach the figure of more than 500.000 and the traditional spirit of the Carnival pervades again the city. &
Identities again become confused. The division between reality and illusion, between past and present,
never very clearly defined in Venice at any time, indistinguishably merge.
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