Carnival (or “Carnevale”) isone of the biggest celebrations in Italy ! Carnevale in Venice, as with Carnival around the world, takes place in the days leading up to Lent. In 2013, it runs from January 26 to February 12. Where did the idea of Carnevale come from? During the 40 days of Lent, parties were off-limits—and so was eating foods like meat, sugar, and fats. As a result, people would try to get rid of all of their rich food and drink (and get their partying out of the way!) before Lent. Hence… Carnival. (In fact, the word Carnevale may come from the Latin words carne and vale, meaning “farewell to meat”! ).
According to tradition, Venice’s Carnival got its start in 1162, when townspeople celebrated a victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia. Festivities became The festival declined during the 18t
...h century. By the 16th century, Venetians were celebrating Carnevale in style! What about Venetian masks? The tradition of masking has a long tradition in Venice.
All the way back in 1268, a law even was passed to ban—of all things—putting on masks and throwing perfumed eggs! By the time of the Renaissance, masks were a fixture of Carnevale celebrations. By the 16th century, the popular Commedia d’Arte troupe performed slapstick comedy in the piazzas of Venice—while masked. Believe it or not, though, masking was hardly just a Carnival tradition. By the 18th century, Venetians were allowed to wear masks for six months a year. And they took advantage!
Black velvet masks, for example, would be worn in “houses of ill repute”—especially gambling parlors—to shield their owners’ identities, as show
in the painting here. What is Venice’s Carnevale like today? Today, Carnevale in Venice is a huge celebration that goes on for two weeks. About 3 million people travel to Venice every year for Carnevale. While many events—particularly the opulent masquerade balls—require invitations and have steep ticket prices, many others, like the candle-lit parade of boats, concerts, and street performances, are free and open to the public.
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