With up to a million people in attendance, the carnival of Venice is one of the most
famous and widely attended festivals and carnivals of all time.
However, unlike other carnivals, this one is unique.
There are mysterious masks and mesmerizing costumes involved.
Like all other aspects of the Italian culture, the carnival of Venice comes with an ancient
history that is bound to blow your minds away.
Dating back to the 17th century, you surely wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun
facts and details we have for you.
Stay tuned to find out more about the time when it was banned but still tons of people
out there went ahead and practiced it sneakily.
Talk about not missing out on a party!
Looks like the people of Venice were always big on parties and like many high school teenagers
out there, they too couldn’t resist secretly making this carnival work.
Curious?
Let’s get into it.
Before we bring for you the details of the carnival, let's first take a look at the history.
With a history as rich as that of Carnival of Venice, we're sure that by the time we're
done you will be nostalgic for something you’ve never experienced.
History of the Carnival of Venice Believe it or not, the story of the history
of the carnival of Venice goes back to 1094.
This is the time when the word "Carnevale" was mentioned for the first time in a document
by Doge Vitale Falier.
By referring to this word, he wanted to imply an event that was carried out for the sake
of public amusements.
If he were to be alive right, he would be very glad to know that today, even after so
many centuries, the Carnival of Venice is doing justice to the world "Carnevale."
The carnival must have had a starting point, right?
Well, you are certainly right there.
The concept of the carnival first came into existence when a battle was carried out between
the Republic of Venice and Ulrico, Patriarch of Aquileia.
This took place back in 1162.
In this battle when the Republic of Venice defeated the opposing parties, celebrations
were in order.
To commemorate the battle and the win, 12 pigs and a bull was slaughtered.
This slaughter was done in the Piazza San Marco to celebrate the victory.
This celebration took place on the day famously known as Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday.
Other than the slaughter, citizens also come out in the Sam Marco Square to dance and gather
around.
This was where the idea for the Carnival of Venice took place.
However, there wasn’t any official announcement and this gathering around in the Square was
just a thing certain people did.
It was later during the period of the Renaissance that the festival becomes official.
In the 17th century, there was tons of effort going on to make the international reputation
of Venice better and more prestigious in the eyes of the world.
During this time, the baroque carnival festival was a way to make that happen.
This phenomenon was carried out in the 18th century and turned out to be quite a famous
event.
Carnival of Venice Outlawed However, the decline of the Festival came
when the Holy Roman Emperor's rule began.
Later on, under the rule of Francis II who was the Emperor of Austria, there were further
restrictions as well.
Under their rule, the entire carnival was stopped and got turned into an outlawed event
in the year 1797.
When this happened, they also made masks forbidden for the general public.
They were not allowed to design, wear or use them throughout this period.
The Return of Carnival of Venice This was the time when people in Venice started
sneakily keeping the tradition alive.
Maybe not on such a large and an open scale, but it was still happening quietly in closed
doors.
The return of the carnival gradually came back in the 19th century but not properly.
There were some short feasts here and there but it was in 1979 that the Carnival came
back in true spirit.
The government of Italy finally decided that this was Carnival was an important piece in
the puzzle of the culture and history of Venice and needed to be brought back It used to be
a 10 daylong event of a lavish party that would contain food, masks, costumes, and music.
Ever since that decision, even today there are more than 3 million people in beautiful
outfits and unique masks attending the Carnival.
Venetian Masks We're pretty sure all of you out there were
waiting for this part.
Even though the history of the Carnival of Venice is pretty rich and old, the masks are
still that one part of the Carnival that people can't seem to get enough of.
It was the masks that were banned under the Holy Roman Emperor because of the concept
of hidden identity so getting that back was a huge relief for the people of Italy.
Even today, there is one famous content of the carnival that people are always excited
about.
It is known as Maschera più Bella which is Italian for "the most beautiful mask."
As the name indicates, in this competition, there is a panel of designers and costume
makers who gather from all over the world to judge and select the best mask.
Origin of the Mask While this was to give a glimpse of the importance
of the mask, these Venetian masks have an important history as well.
The origin of the mask is quite an interesting story because of how many restrictions it
had to go through.
While an exact date is unknown for the origin of masks, there has always been a ban on wearing
these in public.
The ban used to be suspended in the days when the carnival was supposed to take place but
it was quite strict during the rest of the year.
A law from 1339 forbade the Venetian people from wearing vulgar disguises out in public.
This includes wearing false wigs, beards, painting faces, and wearing masks!
Yikes, now that sounds a bit too strict.
Back in the old days, the general public could put on the masks between the dates of 26th
December to early March.
Why these specific dates?
Well, this is because the duration for when wearing masks was considered to be okay was
between the dates of the Santo Stefano which the St. Stephens Day till the day the Carnival
would come to end.
This would be the midnight of Fat Tuesday.
A huge amount of sum was spent each year on these masks and even today, people go out
and put all their money and creativity into making the most unique and mesmerizing mask.
If this was how important Venetian masks are to the carnival, surely the mask makers would
be considered to be very important as well, right?
Well, that is right!
The Masks and the Mask makers The mask makers called the mascherari were
in a very privileged place and were regarded to be at a superior level because of their
skill and talent.
These people were by law given a higher position in the society through the art of painting,
they would be responsible for making the faces on the mask according to the desire of the
buyer.
Of course, with such customizations, a lot of money was paid to them as well.
The makers gave the public a huge variety to pick from.
Materials such as leather and porcelain were used for the masks and the mask makers brought
in different techniques such as the glasswork to make them stand out.
However, with time, there have been various changes in the design of the arts.
Today, mask makers are adding more flourish to the design by attaching ribbons and features
to decor the masks.
Another surprising fact is that people belonging to different areas of expertise and occupations
would stick to a theme and wear them around to indicate their occupation.
Costume Parade The last thing that made the Carnival of Venice
so colorful and beautiful was the costume parade.
With the masks playing a huge role in the costume, these were beautiful outfits that
would leave you stunned.
Each mask was aired with extravagant outfits, shoes, and hair that would help in making
the entire attire even more striking and flamboyant.
With people dressed up from head to toe, they would then proceed to head over the Piazza
San Marco where a huge audience would ooh and aah as they pass by showing off their
clothes and masks.
You might be thinking why would someone put all this effort and money into their masks
and outfit?
Well, these 10 days long carnival would have tons of competitions and prizes based on these
outfits and masks.
There would be a huge panel of judges who would insect the effort of the participants.
During these 10 days, people would be winning various prizes.
Not just that, but on the last Sunday of the 10-day long carnival, there is also a special
parade which is called the Costumes Parades.
In this parade, all the daily winners are invited to come and participate.
Talk about feeling like royalty?
I would like to lead that pared of fashionable icons.
Etiquettes of Dressing The one most asked question that people all
over the world ask is about their clothes and their costumes.
The easiest answer to this is to get whatever you feel the most comfortable in.
Now, we're not saying you should just go in your sweats but anything comfy and a little
formal would do.
On the whole, there is no dress code but since everyone around you will be pretty overdressed,
you might want to put in some effort as well.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that during the Carnival of Venice, there
are many masked balls and parties as well.
Now, if you plan on going to these events then we suggest you take over some of your
best dresses to fit in with the crowd.
A majority of people at these parties will be wearing outfits that were designed to fit
back in the theme of the 14th and 17th centuries.
Long dresses, ruffled sleeves and huge capes made up entirely of velvet are some of the
favorites.
The best part is that you don’t end to bring all these outfits from home as they are easily
available in Venice.
All in all, the Carnival of Venice sounds extremely fun.
It is said that in 2021, this carnival might be as long as 17 days so be prepared to have
the time of your life if you plan on attending.
If you are a fan of dressing up, long parades, and beautiful displays of foreign culture
then you surely wouldn’t want to miss out on this festival.
With beautiful boats, areas to dance in, and tons of beauty contests, you can be guaranteed
of having a good time.
Comment down below and let us know which part of the Carnival excites you the most.