Historians claim that the first carnivals in Venice were held at the end of the 11th century, although at that time they were not so spectacular and colorful. An annual festivities began in 1162 after the celebration of the victory over the patriarch of Aquileia. Six hundred years later, the Austrians, who gained control of Venice, banned the carnival, and the tradition of holding it was renewed only in the 70s of the last century, as a means of massively attracting tourists to the city. Carnival starts 12 days before Ash Wednesday, preceding Lent for Catholics.
Interesting Facts
- The hymn of the Venetian carnival was written by the famous couturier Pierre Cardin.
- The staging projects of the holiday are being developed with the participation of the Russian artist Mikhail Shemyakin. He was responsible for the decoration of the scene in St. Mark's Square. In addition, the artist organizes the "Embassy of Peter the Great" as part of the festival program.
- One of the most important events at the Venice Carnival is the competition for the best mask.
By the way, it is the masks that serve today as a recognizable symbol of the carnival in this Italian city. They are made from papier-mâché or leather and hand-painted with gold leaf. The masks are decorated with feathers and glass beads, and the most expensive ones can be decorated with Murano glass and even semi-precious stones.
Initially, masks were not used at all to hide the face, but to create a distance between socially unequal people who could be too close in a crowd. According to some historians, a napkin with a disinfectant solution placed in the long nose of the mask helped to avoid infection with the plague that raged in medieval Europe. The risk of catching her was especially great in the presence of a large crowd of people.
According to the traditional scenario
The main events of the carnival in Venice take place according to a once-established scenario. The holiday begins with the liberation of the Venetian girls, who are annually "kidnapped" by pirates from Istria. The action is called Festa delle Marie and takes place in Piazza San Marco with the participation of the famous heroes of the Commedia dell'Arte - Colombina, Harlequin, Pierrot and Pantalone.
Then a grandiose procession starts and the streets and squares of Venice turn into theater and concert venues, and medieval palazzo receive guests who want to take part in costume balls.
