Spectacular Festivals of the World - Carnevale Venezia - Venice Carnival

Venice in Italy has long been known for its masked revelers, and about 2 weeks before Ash Wednesday each year marks the beginning of the Carnevale Venezia — the world’s best-known fantasy dress party — which celebrates the approach of Spring, and runs through to Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. The Piazza San Marco is the focus of the festival.



In addition to the Carnevale extravaganza, masks were also allowed during Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, so people could spend a large part of the year in disguise.



Carnevale Di Venezia was first recorded in 1268, but when the Austrians took control of the city on January 18, 1798 it fell into a decline which effectively brought carnival celebrations to a halt for nearly 2 centuries. Carnival was outlawed by the fascist government in the 1930’s, and it wasn’t until a modern mask shop was founded in the 1980’s that Carnival enjoyed a revival.



Mascherari — mask makers — have enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and guild, and from the days of Doge Foscari onwards, mask-makers have had their own statute dated 10 April 1436. They belonged to the fringe of painters — sign-painters would draw faces onto plaster in a range of various shapes with extreme attention paid to detail.



Venetian masks can be made in leather or with the original papier-mâché technique. The original Venetian masks were rather simple in design and decoration, frequently bearing a symbolic and practical function.



Most masks today are made with the application of gesso and gold leaf, all hand-painted using natural feathers and gems to decorate them.