Immerse Yourself In The Thrilling Experience Of The Venice Carnival

Deepen in the history of the Venice Carnival

Well, before making a list of “what to do” during the Venice Carnival, we should explore a bit of its history, which is not less fascinating than the festival itself.

The first documented mention of this event appears in 1094, but its origins date back to the ancient era. The feast in honour of the god Saturn was held after harvesting, and was accompanied by mass festivities. Moreover, during this feast the slaves were allowed to sit near their masters, but for the sake of the party to not be spoiled by the class prejudices, they were hiding their faces behind masks. However, many believe that the annual celebration started from the victory of Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia against the Patriarch of Aquileia in 1162. It is in the honor of this victory that people started to gather in San Marco Square, and dance. The use of masks did not come into play until 12th century when women from Constantinople (Istanbul today) would cover their faces with masks. Wearing masks gave Venetians the opportunity to freely indulge in vices and forbidden pleasures, and also prevented them from being recognized if they did something inappropriate. That is why later the use of masks became illegal and the festival was outlawed. The situation changed in 1979 when the authorities decided to bring the festival back and redevelop the culture of wearing the masks, which would boost tourism in the city and add entertainment during this dull and misty period of year.

Admire the masked costume parade in Piazza San Marco!

The main place where you can admire the parade of costumes is Piazza San Marco. But I have to warn you, that when you get here for the first time, a large number of tourists and locals wearing masks while dressed in different costumes will overwhelm you. You will feel as if you have been instantly transported back in time. You can also take photos with the protagonists of the feast, who will pose with you and for you with the greatest pleasure.

Buy a mask for yourself!

If you’re eager to participate in this colorful celebration, than you can purchase a mask for yourself. This will not only help you to immerse yourself into the whole atmosphere of carnival, but will also leave you with beautiful memories of this unique experience. You can choose from a great variety of masks of different colors, forms, materials, and characters. Usually they are made of paper-mache, leather, and porcelain, however you can still find those made from using the original glass technique. The masks are often hand-painted, heavily gilded, and elaborately decorated with gems and feathers. In the past, the main characters of the masks represented various occupations and professions. Nowadays we can distinguish several most widely used types of masks worn during the Carnival of Venice. The Bauta is a gilded mask (though originally it was simply all white), covering the entire face, accompanied by a red or black cape . The Colombina is a heavily decorated half-mask, covering only the eyes, nose, and upper cheeks. The Plague Doctor is a most popular mask that was used in the past as sanitary precaution during the plague. It consists of a beak and round eyeholes, and is worn with a black hat and a long black cloak. If you want to get an entire costume, there is a wide selection of costume rental shops in Venice. Many Italians and foreigners participate in the best costume contest and the best mask contest. You can also try your luck in such an entertaining activity.

Take a gondola ride!

During the Venice Carnival things tend to become even more romantic than on a regular visit to this mesmerizing city, and a gondola ride is not an exception.

Though it might not be the cheapest entertainment you can get in Venice, but for sure it will be a memory for life. Just imagine yourself slowly gliding through the canals of Venice and spotting people, here and there, dressed up in beautiful costumes. The gondolier is singing you some Italian ballads, while you are sipping from a glass of champagne.