This year I decided to visit Venice with some friends during Carnival, known as Carnevale di Venezia. I stayed at the Pensione Accademia which is not far from the Grand Canal near the Ponte dell’Accademia. I found out that this happened to be the hotel featured in David Lean’s movie, Summertime, with Katherine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi. It is conveniently located about a 20-minute walk from Piazza San Marco where the afternoon Carnevale festivities were taking place. I attended Carnevale on the Wednesday and Thursday before Fat Tuesday.
Today Carnevale is a 10-day festival that lasts until Ash Wednesday. Like other pre-Lent celebrations in other parts of the world, Carnevale has a long history and tradition behind it. This festival is said to have originated from an important military victory for the Venetian Republic in 1162. Dances and parties started to take place in the Piazza San Marco to celebrate this victory. Masks have been the distinguishing characteristic of Carnevale. By 1436, maskmakers were officially given their own guild. The masks during Carnevale allowed Venetians of different social classes to mingle and, in some cases, meet for amorous rendezvous without fear of recognition or retribution.
Mask wearing at Carnevale reached its peak in the late 18th century by which time Carnevale in Venice became a world renown event. All this came to an abrupt halt when Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops brought an end to the Venetian Republic in 1797. Masks and Carnevale in Piazza San Marco had virtually disappeared for almost two centuries.
In 1979, a group of foreign and other non-Venetian organizers attempted to revive Carnevale similar to the way American historical societies organize mock battles or to stage charity balls with period costumes and themes. Although not all Venetians were particularly enthusiastic about the international bombardment of tourists, merchants quickly recognized the economic benefit of this awakened event.
The two afternoons that I spent walking through Piazza San Marco provided plenty of spectacles to enjoy.
