From the middle of the XV to the end of the XVI century the organisation of the Carnival festivities was delegated to the
Compagnie di Calze, associations of young nobles
distinguished by variously coloured patterned hose.
Carnival meant performances in theatres, in palazzi, in
coffee-shops and in small playhouses, but above all it meant a
climate of widespread festivity in which ordinary people and
nobles, all wearing masks, mingled with dancers and jugglers,
with vendors of balsams and cooked apple, with commedia
dell'arte actors and snake charmers.
The eighteenth-century Carnevale
officially began on December 26, lasting for nearly two months
until Shrove Tuesday; aspects of it, such as the wearing of
masks, stretched into the rest of the year, until Carnevale
unofficially continued for six months !!!!!!!!!
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During the
period of Carnival it seems that every excess was permitted and
the fact that everyone wore masks seemed to abolish all social
division. All the campi were thronged with people
intent on partying and carousing, singing, dancing and playing
games. |
Since 1970 the celebration of Carnival in Venice has gained
popularity. People come from the world over to attend private
and public masked balls and masked revelers of all ages invade
the campi where music and dancing continues nearly day and
night. Theatrical performances and an array of ancient games are
organized for the amusement of Venetians and visitors alike.
Today's Carnevale is
limited to the ten days leading up to Lent, finishing on Shrove
Tuesday with a masked ball with a masked ball for the
glitterati, and dancing in the Piazza for the plebs. It was
revived in 1979 by a group of non-Venetian, and soon gained
support from the canny city authorities, who now organize
various pageants and performances.
| What happen today during
the carnival? |
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During the day people don costumes and go down to the Piazza to
be photographed; parents dress up their kids; businessmen can be
seen doing their shopping in the classic white mask, black cloak
and tricorne hat. In the evening some congregate in the remoter
squares while those who have spent literally hundreds of euro on
their costumes install themselves in the windows of Florian's
and pose for a while before making an exit with an adoring
entourage |
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How to easy mix with the
carnival atmosphere?
A simple black outfit and a painted face is enough to transform you from a
spectator into a participant.
Masks are on sale anywhere and a lot of temporary shops appear
in the street during Carnevale. In San Marco square you can find
a lot of mask making and a variety of designs for sale.
| Typical masks |
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The
most common disguise costume (the bałtta) was composed of a
black silk hood, a lace cape, a voluminous cloak (the
tabarro), and a three-cornered hat and a white mask that
completely covered the wearer's face. This allowed revelers to
go around the city incognito. It was useful to go to casini,
places where you could play games of chance. |
Carnival rites and ceremonies
There were numerous rites and ceremonies initially of pagan
origin which were then transformed in the celebration of the
power and grandeur of the Serenissima. War could be identified
in the Macchina dei Fuochi (Fire Machine), the
Venetians' dexterity in storming the walls of Aquileia in the
Forze d'Ercole (Human Pyramids), battle in the
Ballo della Moresca (Moorish Dance), justice in the
Taglio della testa al toro (Decapitating the Bull) and
peace in the Volo dell'Angelo (Flight of the Angel).
The other culminating moments include the water procession, with
festively decorated boats and masked rowers, which concludes
with fireworks against the evocative backdrop of the Cannaregio
Canal, the flight of the dove which marks the beginning of
Carnival, and the final grand ball on Shrove Tuesday in St.
Mark's Square
If you want to see more
carnival pictures go to the photo
gallery...
