To add to the festival atmosphere, there are usually refreshment stalls in the Piazza selling snacks and drinks like mulled wine, local Bellini cocktails and the local speciality fritelle , a popular festive doughnut sold everywhere in Venice around Carnival time.
The grand opening celebration of the Carnival takes place on the first Sunday, with an event called il volo dell'angelo the flight of the angel. This adaptation of an old tradition involves an 'angel', often notable for the randomness of choice: past years have featured a swimming champion, the rapper Coolio, a minor socialite and Venetian carnival participants swinging on harnesses from the belltower into the Piazzetta San Marco. One of the big events is the afternoon parade of costumes on a catwalk in St.
Mark's Square. If your costume is fabulous and you're feeling confident, then you can join in. The festival ends with a big celebration and fireworks above St. There are a number of special events and balls held in Venice during the Carnival.
Tickets are generally expensive and should be booked in advance, but if you've left it late, it's still worth calling around. Venice's opera house, La Fenice, hosted one grand event last year, and some of the smarter hotels also put on balls and parties. If you've always had a secret hankering to wear fancy dress, then the Carnival is a perfect opportunity to indulge without attracting stares. Masks, cloaks and wigs are easily purchased at countless tourist shops and souvenir stalls.
Costumes can be hired at shops throughout the city, but they may be in short supply if you don't book them promptly. This little market is made up of stalls from some of Venice's artisan mask and costume workshops, and runs for the duration of the Carnival.
If you are really getting into the Carnival spirit, check in local newspapers or at the tourist office for details of other local festivals. They won't be as glitzy as the main Venice events, but all the local towns celebrate the Carnival in their own way and the more 'local' atmosphere may appeal to tourists looking for authenticity.
The less touristy areas of Venice are also more typically Italian in their celebrations. This is just about Venice's busiest time of year.
Hotel rates are at peak-season levels, and you should book well ahead or find your choices much reduced. In another law prohibited masked people from visiting nun's convents, painting their faces and wearing false beards and wigs in order to protect people from robbers and murders who regularly wore them.
The lack of any other documented sources about masking suggests that people did not wear them frequently before the 13th century. The First Carnival However, it is believed that the tradition to celebrate the Venice Carnival may have started in with the celebration of the victory over Ulrich II of Treven, the Patriarch of Aquileia an ancient Roman city in Italy. Urich II was taken prisoner together with his 12 vassals and eventually released on one specific condition. Every year on Holy Thursday the Patriarch was obliged to pay a tribute to Venice that included a bull and 12 pigs which than were slaughtered in the Piazza San Marco in front of Venetians to commemorate the victory.
On that day the street celebrations, games, people dancing and bonfires would take over the streets of the city. By the 18 th century the Venice Carnival became one of the most popular tourist attractions and attracted people from all over the Europe.
The festivities continued for 6 months of the year. It was the place where music and dancing continued almost non-stop. On January 18, the Austrians took control of the whole city and the Carnival almost disappeared for nearly two centuries. In the s Venice Carnival was banned by the fascist government and was finally revived only in the s with its distinctive traditions and celebrations making Venice as one the best Carnival destinations for tourists from all over the world. Follow us However, in the city center, ancient shops or ateliers still produce masks according to the ancient art.
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A masked costume in Venice Courtesy of Ester Bonadonna. The Carnival Today. Venetian Masks. Traditional masked costumes in St. Two masked costumes in St. Masks in a traditional shop in Venice Courtesy of Ester Bonadonna.
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