Venice, is the City of Bridges, epitome of love, built on the archipelago of hundred and eighteen islands, there are no roads in the city but canals connecting the places and Gondola used for traveling. The Venice Carnival is a time when the whole city glitters and displays its heritage and culture and celebrates it traditions. The display of festive spirit is commendable and as every citizen dresses up, Venice itself takes a fancy dress.
Venice celebrated annually, before coming of Lent, the Venice transforms back in time in the 13th century- where people wear masks, a twelve day escapade, and it’s a carnival time for Venetians. Carnival is marriage of age old history of Venice and modern festival. Venice Carnival is as Rio’s Carnival, riotous and welcomes the season of spring with such gusto. From all the pomp and festivities of Venice, Carnival is by far the best and most alluring. The city’s fairy tale backdrop and Carnival spirit is perfect for tourist to visit Venice at its best. The Venice Carnival is not parade. It’s a festive sprit all over the city.
Venice Carnival is fusion of masquerades, concerts, operas, pageants, balls and banquets it commences a week before to Lent and ends on the eve of Shrove Tuesday. Local traditions add unique flavor to the carnival. All the Venetians from rich elite’s to the plebian, express their carnival spirit and participate in the Venice Carnival. The Venice Carnival is an enchanting time, and in past it was a time where social boundaries were broken and transgressed the rules and norms of society and over turning of social order. All people did was wear beautiful carved masks on there faces and it thus made all of them equal.
The events at Venice Carnival is Vollo dell Angelo (flight of the Angels), Gran Corteo Storico (Great Historic Parade), Festa Della Marie (Celebration of The Marie), Sfilata Della Maschere (Mask Procession).
Venice Carnival completely provides for entertainment stimulating all the six senses for marry making. The events lined up are mix of old traditional customs and eclectic. During the period of Carnival revelers set aside all rules and extremity and excess is permitted. The carnival is of splendor and regal and one of the greatest festival of world.
San Marco Square is hub and heart of Venice and its Carnival. It is full of costumed locals and visitors. While most come to watch the spectacle of costumes, mask’s, street performances, and music while other are here to participate to flaunt their attires and mask. Carnival is masked extravaganza, and fancy dress, here you get your chance to dress up like Phantom of the Opera. Costumes made in calle, lace, campelli, velvet, and brocade and satins exhibit’s rich, elaborate, detailed and evoke a magical feeling.
Mask is the iconic to Venice Carnival. The oldest document that mentions mask in Venice is dated back in May 2 1268! In the day time people show off by wearing the splendid Venetian costumes and masks. Head to Piazza and get flanked by hoards of photographers. It is fantasy world, where you can live in land of fantasy during the days of Carnival. Costumes parade and preen throughout the day.
You will come across people putting on some old fairy tale scenes or satirical scenes like group of people donning themselves as Euros dancing with people dressed up as dollars and some group doing a fairy tale scene where group of people are dancing as wolves with one red riding hood in between. Some people are all in costumes and mask and some leaving there inhibitions are just in mask and underwear! As you walking on some quiet canal you may encounter people having fun and enjoying the carnival fiesta. The best show in Carnival is to walk and be part of celebration with each and everyone. You will be surprised and enchanted! Endowing traditional Carnival characters such as beaked bespectacled medico, eerily pale and so many more add to the grandeur and mystique of the carnival. Parents dress up their kids and people are seen shopping in black cloaks, white masks and tricone hats.
Traditional Masks and hats are on sale everywhere, lots of temporary shops open up on streets during Carnival as it is good time to trading. A visitor can wear costume and pair it with a tricone hat and exotic masks and party till late into night.
Carnival’s events and programs are open to all and the notices are put around the St Mark Square.
As in the evening, carnival is carried on with a Ball for glamorous, paparazzi and glitterati- The Ballo Del Doge is held in fifteenth century palace, the Palazzo Pisani Moretta. In the memory of Doge this ball is held. He ruled Venice in the seventeenth century. It is so marvelous with celebrities making grand entry in Gondola’s. Around four hundred guest attends the ball, entertained with minuet lessons, Opera singing, traditional dances, and scrumptious dinner. The Marie’s Parade, is pageant , which is reenactment of Doge saving twelve maidens from prison of pirates. Its is celebration of Doge’s courage and triumph. With beautiful damsels, the parade begins from St Pietro di Castello church and via Garibaldi winding at St Mark’s Square.
To add the zing to the festival atmosphere, there are stalls selling snacks and drinks of traditional Venice and local specialty. Drinks like Mulled wine, Local Bellini cocktails and special Fritelle. Carnvele pastries a thin dough strips fried and dusted with powdered sugar called Tortelli or Chiacchiere fill the street stalls. Everything remains open in Venice and the city moves around in such happy and festive spirit, it spreads like wild fire.
Celebrations reach to a summit on Martedi Grasso (Fat Tuesday) when an effigy or symbol of carnival is burned in a Bonfire.
The Venice Carnival, is a large exhibition of not only its history or traditions, but in today’s’ times it resembles the human spirit to be together and celebrate the life.
