Venice Carnival - a grand event in Italy! Venice Carnival and its history What happens at the Venetian carnival.

A two-week holiday euphoria reigns in Italian Venice during the annual carnival. Costume and theatrical performances, performances by jugglers, acrobats, magicians, mimes, snake charmers, sword swallows, a competition for the best Venetian mask, music and dance, an endless atmosphere of frivolous fun made the Venice Carnival one of the most famous and memorable carnivals in the world. By many travelers he is even secretly called the King of all carnivals.

The ability of the Venetians to have fun and organize a truly incomparable show increases the population of the city every year by 500,000 tourists.
  That is why the planned is not only possible, but also necessary to coincide with a visit to the Venice Carnival. You definitely will not lose!

Carnival begins 12 days before the start of Catholic Lent   and ends on Fat Tuesday, after which believers observe a 40-day fast before the most ancient Christian holiday - Easter.

History of the Venice Carnival

The history of this festival dates back to 1094, but the celebrations of that time took place without masks. Since 1162, the historically marked year of victory over Patriarch Aquileia, the carnival began to be held annually on St. Mark's Square.

Venetian masks, traditionally made from papier-mâché or leather, became fashionable only in the XIII-XIV centuries. It was a whim of the rich and noble Venetians who wanted to bring a note of mystery to the holiday, starting to eat at the same table with the slaves.

Balancing on the verge of rules adopted by secular society, but not wanting to spoil the fun with class prejudices, everyone wore masks. Hand-painted using gold leaf and soil, masks liked the Venetians. They have the opportunity to contact socially unequal. Masks began to be worn from August to Fat Tuesday.

The increased number of illegitimate children and brothels led to the ban of masks in 1703 by the Council of Ten. The ban lasted only one year, since the authorities themselves could not deny themselves the pleasure of wearing masks for the celebration.

Soon the creation of masks became a real work of artthat were decorated with bird feathers and even expensive precious stones. The modern Venice Carnival is not complete without a competition for the best mask.

Venetian carnivals during their centuries-old history of existence have experienced both ups and downs. The carnival reached its peak in the 18th century. Carnival costumes have become an indicator of high fashion trends. It was in this century that the heroes of the Italian comedy - Harlequin, Pierrot, Pantalone and Colombina became the protagonists of the carnival.

The emblem of the carnival was the charming Colombina. Decline came at the end of the 18th century, when revolutionary ideas reigned in the city, as well as in the country as a whole. The poor revolutionaries condemned those in power for squandering the city treasury at such festivities. This led to a veto on the carnival.

The modern Venice Carnival - the interweaving of the distant past and present

In 1979, at the initiative of the Italian film director, who was awarded five Oscars, Federico Fellini, the noisy carnival fun returned to the city streets with the permission of the Pope.

The great couturier Pierre Cardin not only created unique carnival costumes for the beau monde, but, inspired and inspired by a magical medieval holiday, wrote a hymn for him in 1996.

Since then, the anthem has become an indispensable attribute of the carnival, the first chords of which lead the audience to trembling expectation of something new and unknown.



As in the Middle Ages, the beginning of the holiday opens with a ritual called “Volo della Colombina”. Paper dove Columbine launched from the bell tower in St. Mark's Square. The dove explodes during the flight - and multi-colored confetti is showered on the heads of the assembled spectators in the square.

Then follows the oldest Venetian holiday - Festa delle Marie, dedicated to the release of the girls who were abducted by pirates from Istria. Numerous beauties consider it an honor to take part in this performance, portraying oppressed captives, and then happy liberated maidens, whose beauty is ready to captivate and envelop any young man with her spell.

The holiday spills over all the narrow streets of the city. Venice with its spacious squares, gondoliers, bridges and canals turns into one big stage with unthinkable scenery.

The flight and the riot of unbridled imagination of artists who recreated the medieval era are difficult to tie to real time. Every Venetian and guest of the city cannot come to a holiday without a costume.

Do not forget: this is a costume carnival. Down, feathers, camisoles and frock coats embroidered with gold, snow-white shirts with lace, frill and stand-up collars, puffy dresses with a deep neckline, knickers, powdered high wigs, black cocked hat - and this is not the whole list of elements of carnival decoration.



Many females can be found dressed in zendal - a black long and narrow lace or silk shawl. Do not despair if a carnival costume has not been picked up in advance.

Many shops offer a wide selection of unique masks.   and cloaks, cloaks that can be purchased or rented.

In addition to Arlequino, Pantalone, Pierrot and Colombina on the streets of the city you can meet Gianduia - one of the characters of the Italian comedy del arte. You can easily recognize the honest peasant from the heart of Piermont, who loves wine, beautiful girls and hearty food, with a three-arm hat and a brown jacket with red edges.

Pulcinella, a gossip and a mocker, who can be identified by his arrogant appearance and piercing voice, is also everywhere walking. Slightly hunchbacked and wearing a mask with a large hypertrophied fleshy nose, he became the prototype of the Russian Parsley.



Many ancient palaces open their doors to the eminent public, where exclusive private receptions and traditional costume balls are held.

So, the beautiful palace of the 14th century Papafava (PALAZZO PESARO PAPAFAVA), whose windows overlook the channel of Mercy (Misericordia) annually invites you to a ball accompanied by live music in the hall, lit by the lights of a thousand candles. A beautiful and unforgettable evening, graceful dances remain for a long time in the memory of the participants of the evening.

The charming Pisani Moretta Palace (PALAZZO PISANI MORETTA), located on the Grand Canal and filled with precious decorations and frescoes of the 18th century, attracts guests from all over the world in the era of the Republic of Serenissima. Grand Ball gives guests the opportunity to swim in an atmosphere of entertainment, permissiveness and temptation.

Russian artist Mikhail Shemyakin, whose designs are used to create costumes for an elite audience, has long been involved in the staging projects of the Venice Carnival, including for luxury hotels and palaces.

Amazing fireworks over the lagoon near Piazza San Marco crowns the end of the costume parade. AND the whole holiday ends with a pagan ritual - burning a straw effigywhich symbolizes the renewal of nature. The beginning of Lent is announced by the ringing of the bells of the church of San Francesco della Vigna.

Those who attended the carnival will never forget this celebration. A carnival mask can be a reminder of a wonderful pastime. Many Venetians have long become collectors of such masks, replenishing their collections every year with new masterpieces. So why not follow suit?

And our advice to you when traveling to Italy: better. It is not so difficult, and most importantly, it is affordable. So you can save on tickets for buses, trains, taxis, as well as your own time, which is expensive when traveling.

Photo: Irina Baryshnikova

Traditionally, before fasting and ten days before the Shrovetide throughout the Italy, lush Carnivals cope brightly and colorfully, which literally translates from Italian as “farewell to meat” (Italian: Carni, vale). The most famous carnival in Italy, and throughout the world, is the carnival in Venice. Separately, the dates of the Carnivals in 2010-2020. , now let us dwell in more detail on the holiday itself.

Every year Venice Carnival   It takes place under a special slogan or theme around which the entire cultural program is built, although, of course, the program of events includes many traditional rituals that are held during a huge stage performance. After all, the main scene of the holiday is the whole city, with its squares, streets, large and small channels, and, of course, theaters.

Carnival costumes in Venice

As we have already noted, the Venice Carnival is one of the most famous and popular carnivals in the world. First mention of Carnival in venice   dates back to the year 1094, and in 1296 he even gets the status of a public holiday. For several centuries, the Carnival holiday lasted for 6-8 weeks and ended only with the advent of Maslenitsa, and there were times when the Festivities began in October of the previous year.

The idea of \u200b\u200ba Venice Carnival   belonged to the Venetian nobles. I really wanted to come up with something of my own - like the Ancient Roman one - where the slogan “Bread and circuses” would work, and they really succeeded.

The original goal of the Carnival is to provide citizens, especially representatives of the lower classes, with the opportunity, at least for a short period of time, to free themselves from everyday routine, forget about prejudices and differences, and indulge in irrepressible fun.

At the Venice Carnival you can forget about everyday routine

The Venetians got the opportunity to enjoy life and come off, as they say, “without brakes” carnival masks   and costumes that hide the face, social affiliation and even gender, which guaranteed complete anonymity.

Often, commoners hid under the mask of noble men and women, and true secular lionesses and the "mighty of the world" hid their faces behind the mask of simpletons. However, the carnival mask did not always hide good intentions - at times it served as a cover for committing crimes.

In the XVIII century, the Venice Carnival is gradually losing its former significance and chic, and soon it completely “leaves the stage”. The revival of the Venice Carnival   with great success was held relatively recently - in 1979. And in our time, Venice and the Carnival are inseparable concepts.

Today, the Venice Carnival is a bright, enchanting holiday in which history and modernity merge together. The streets and squares of the city are filled with magicians, clowns, acrobats and jugglers. The main thing in the holiday is that everyone can turn from a spectator into an artist and show his show, having received attention and applause from the public.

At the carnival, everyone can turn from a spectator into an artist

The obligatory attributes of the program of each carnival are theatrical processions and shows, concerts of classical and modern music, solo programs of pop singers, as well as a parade of the most beautiful and original masks. The Venice Carnival is revered for the honor of taking part in the best theater and circus groups in Europe.

On Shrovetide night on a silent procession of boats and gondolas lined up by candlelight along the Grand Canal, Venice traditionally says goodbye to the Carnival in order to celebrate it even brighter, more colorful and more fun in a year.

The main European festivities of winter - the Venice Carnival - annually attracts hundreds of thousands of guests. This celebration precedes Great Lent like Slavic Maslenitsa. And at the same time it is a memory of the brightest, most fun and amazing victory over social (and any other!) Stereotypes that could ever happen in medieval Europe.

Carnival is mistakenly considered a "triumph of commoners." From the beginning, it was considered a time of equality and openness, an rejection of rules and conventions. There was also danger in the carnival - it was not without reason that mysterious love stories, like bloody Italian detective stories, are often hidden under an exquisite carnival mask ... Carnival celebrations in Italy conquered not only Venice: Sardinia, Emilia-Romagna, Apulia, Marche, Basilicata, Lazio and Piedmont also known for their processions, fun and balls.

Carnival story

There was a time when the Venice Carnival began already on the second day of Christmas - that is, on the day of St. Stephen according to the Gregorian calendar (December 26). The carnival lasted until Tuesday before Lent, which always begins in the Catholic Church on Wednesday. This day is sometimes called "Fat Tuesday." Although there are other versions of the chronology of the carnival: for example, from the statements of many historians and contemporaries of the Baroque era, it can be seen that it did not actually end. Breaks came only during fasting and, in fact, harvesting. Already in October, carnival fun began again!

The origin of modern carnival has several sources. Ancient Roman connects the carnival with winter pagan festivals dedicated to the god Saturn (Saturnalia) and harvest celebrations. Further development of the Venetian culture and Christianization allowed rethinking the festivities as fun before Lent. And so the word “carnival” arose, which literally means “goodbye meat” ( carne-vale).

Photo source: offerteshopping.it.

Documents for the first time record the carnival in Venice back in 1094. Since then, carnival has for centuries remained the most striking phenomenon of Venetian culture.. In the 19th century, the carnival conquered the whole world - a fun festival in masks became the "trademark" of Venice, and carnival lovers already spoke a variety of languages \u200b\u200band dialects. Art, literature, theater, and then cinema in full use of carnival images - as they continue to use them with pleasure even now.

The Venice Carnival also survived a kind of “era of oblivion”: in the 19th century, when the world spoke of triumph, Venice itself rejected it. But in 1980, the Venetian carnival traditions began to revive. True, since then, funny celebrations last much less - from a week to three. In recent years, the carnival in Venice lasts a little over two weeks.

Traditions of the Venice Carnival

The carnival has always been accompanied by unbridled joy and cases of unjustified cruelty. Even in ancient Rome, Saturnalia was a period that actually equated the slave and his master. To further emphasize this, in the 13th century, the Venetians everywhere began to use carnival masks - not so much to hide their faces, but more for free contacts with representatives of other classes and social classes.

Photo source: blog.pelatelli.com.

Hiding at the same time many faces under masks, one way or another, had a variety of social consequences. Romantic and tragic, funny and criminal, forbidden and scandalous ... During this period, any rules were practically not applied.: The carnival has always had a lot of both children and victims. The freest, perhaps, were the traditions of the carnival during the Venetian Republic.

The modern carnival is no longer such a riotous and unbridled spectacle. At the same time, it united many traditions and symbols of Venice. The action takes place simultaneously in many, and covers various sights of Venice. Ancient and modern variations of fun events are now combined here in one bright celebration. One of these events is the ancient festival of Mari ( Festa delle marie) This is a reminder of the rescue of the Venetian girls who were once stolen by the pirates of Istria.

Also, the Venice Carnival today is carnival freedom, the days of theater, music and street food. At this time, parades of gondolas, competitions of traditional clothes and masks, costume balls, historical reconstructions and the “Procession of the Maries” (twelve beauties of Venice) take place. One of them, the winner of the contest, becomes the protagonist of Angel Flight the following year and flies over the crowd from the bell tower right on Venice. The closing of the carnival marks another “flying” show - it is “Flight of the Lion”, the winged symbol of Venice and the symbol of the main Christian patron of the city, the evangelist Mark.

venecian mask

Masks removed prohibitions and blurred differences. For this they were even forbidden to wear during the carnival. Traditional Venetian masks are often divided into two types. First of all, these are masks of the Italian Comedy of Masks. They represent Harlequin and Colombina, Pulcinella and Pierrot, Pedrolino, Zanni, Brigella and other characters.

Photo source: analivingston.wordpress.com.

There are other masks: they were formed throughout the history of the carnival and in many respects reflect the Venetian culture and traditions. These are Bautta (the simplest and most popular), Moretta (The Silent Servant), Larva, the Venetian Lady, the Joker, the Cat, Doctor of the Plague and Volto (neutral mask of the Citizen). In addition to them, of course, new masks appear every year - modern types can be enumerated endlessly.

Masks are made from special types of gypsum, papier-mâché, paints, fabrics, foils, and various decorative materials. Decorating and coloring a real Venetian mask is painstaking handmade. For this, craftsmen use both simple and very valuable components - soil, gold leaf, natural bird feathers and precious stones.

• By carnival anthem   is a fashion designer Pierre Cardin, a native of the Venice region.
• Occurrence cat masks   It has a fairly simple reason: there were very few cats in Venice, and the inhabitants of the city on the water felt great interest and respect for them.
• Mask and special costume Doctors of the Plague   come from a real costume that was a tragic necessity during epidemics. Then this mask was considered a carnival reminder of death.
• During the carnival work was not encouraged. If someone was caught on this, then they could tie and drag to the church. There, the "delinquent" drank wine until you drop. For this, he could even be declared a carnival king.
• In those days when the carnival lasted for six months, all masks happened and performed: The Venetians dressed up appropriately even in church and court.

Venice. Venice! Venice ... How much the name of this city says. After all, these are both canals and gondoliers, night walks under the full moon. After all, these are old streets and squares. And world-famous temples, and paintings of great masters. And the memories of the glorious times of Casanova. And the carnival. The most famous, the very first Venice carnival.

The history of the Venice Carnival dates back to ancient Rome. In ancient Rome, once a year, during the winter solstice (in December), Saturnalia was celebrated. They passed in honor of the god of Saturn - one of the main ancient Roman deities, the patron saint of agriculture. On this holiday, slaves were allowed to have fun with their masters, to sit at the same table with them. And so that prejudice did not spoil the mood, everyone dressed up in masks, and now it was not visible who was the master and who was the slave.

With the disappearance in the depths of ancient Rome and the advent of a new religion, Christianity, the tradition of the holiday itself did not disappear, but a little transformed, changed. Now the ancient Roman gods were no longer disturbed, but the masks were preserved, as the unbridled fun was preserved, when you can forget about all decorum. Now the carnival began to be held before the post that precedes Easter. And the mention of the first Venice Carnival dates back to 1094. And in 1296, the Senate of the Republic of Venice officially proclaims the last day before Lent as a holiday.

Venice Carnival ... But the origin of the word carnival is very confusing. There are several options, the first is carne vale, which means “goodbye, meat”, and this name, most likely, came from the Catholic Church, which thus gave the name to the holiday before Lent. Or car val- which means “ship of jesters” and, thus, gives an accurate description of the holiday itself.

The Venetian carnival was magnificent and famous. And ... And masks over time became popular not only during the carnival, but also in everyday life. The church even had to officially ban the wearing of masks outside the carnival. And in 1608, a decree was issued according to which men who were seen wearing masks on non-carnival days were imprisoned for two years and fined. It was easier with women - they were simply whipped in the square.

The Venice Carnival was popular until the 18th century (the 18th century is both the heyday, the peak of the popularity of the carnival, and its end), by the way, Napoleon Bonaparte was also a big fan of the Venetian carnival. But in the second half of the twentieth century, the Venice Carnival began to gain popularity again.

Now, about half a million tourists visit the Venice Carnival annually. At what they are not only spectators, they are very actively participating in the carnival itself. The most active are elderly tourists from Italy and France. They sew costumes and participate in costume balls, which take place in the ancient palaces of Venice. Young people often have fun in squares and bars.

The Venice Carnival begins with the festival Festa delle Marie, which is dedicated to the release of Venetian girls kidnapped by pirates from Istria. Then a traditional performance takes place in Venice's main square, San Marco. This performance is “Flight of the Angel.” It consists in the fact that a girl, an angel, descends on belts from the bell tower of the Basilica of St. Mark. It descends smoothly and gracefully, as if she really is an angel. At the Venice Carnival of 2010, the role of an angel went to the young and beautiful girl Bianca Brandolini D’Add, daughter of Countess Georgina Brandolini. In 2011, the “angel” was Sylvia Biancini, a young resident of Venice.

And then comes the carnival procession and the festivities themselves, both in palaces, bars and restaurants, and in the squares and streets of the city. Everything turns into a continuous carnival. Everywhere you can meet people in amazing costumes and incredible masks. By the way, today, in addition to the traditional masks of the Venice Carnival, for example, Doctor of the Plague, you can meet a variety of fantastic, and even masks of famous people, for example, singers or politicians. You can see the mask of Napoleon, who did not like the Venice Carnival, and the mask of Fidel Castro with his associates. Everything is possible at the carnival, your every imagination is embodied in reality.

In 1996, the Venice Carnival also had its own hymn, which was written by a famous fashion designer. (on video - Vivaldi)

The Venice Carnival is held annually. But since the date of the carnival is associated with the date of Easter, and the holiday of Easter, as you know, is not tied to a specific number, the date of the Venice Carnival also moves. The Venice Carnival takes place in March or February, while if last year's carnival was in March, the next one will be in February, and then again in March. So the carnival of 2011 was held in March, so the carnival of the year 2012 will be held in February. And don't forget to come up with a mask.

Very soon, Italian Venice will spin in the fireworks of bright colors and unbridled fun. The famous carnival this year starts on January 31 and runs until February 17. Traditionally, the time of the main Venetian event is associated with the Catholic calendar: the holiday always ends the day before Lent. The word "carnival" itself is translated from the Latin language as "goodbye, meat." Noisy festivities, masquerades and feasts were intended to please the townspeople, because the fasting time that followed was held in humility and temperance.

The history of carnival has not a single decade. The first mention of festivities in Venice dates back to 1094. According to historians, a century later, the carnival has already become an annual event. For a long time, the holiday was the main cultural event in the life of the townspeople.

However, in 1797 the carnival was banned. This happened after the Venetian state ceased to exist. Subsequently, no attempt to revive the former glory of the carnival was unsuccessful. Only in 1979 did the Italian government seriously concern itself with the question of the return of bright processions to the streets of Venice. A significant role in the revival of the carnival was played by the famous director Federico Fellini. So the carnival again became the main pride of the inhabitants of the city.

Since then, Venice, during the annual holiday, has become a center that attracts thousands of people who want to see with their own eyes all the splendor and beauty of this incredible action. The number of tourists flocking to Venice during the carnival reaches half a million.

The festival opens with the action called “Volo della Colombina”: from one of the bell towers located on the famous St. Mark’s Square, a symbolic paper dove named Colombina is launched into the sky, which scatters confetti over the inhabitants.

At the same time, the Festa delle Marie holiday kicks off on the square itself. The rich history of this procession is associated with the liberation of the Venetians, captured by pirates. The festive procession is led by seven girls who symbolize liberated beauties. Brightly dressed townspeople and tourists accompany young ladies all the time of the procession.

Carnival costumes are prepared in advance and impress with their variety and splendor. Silk, brocade and velvet, incredible hairstyles and amazing hats - each participant in the carnival seeks to stand out and impress the audience with the beauty of their outfit.

But, of course, the main symbol of the carnival is the traditional Venetian mask, under which participants prefer to hide their faces. Each mask is a small work of art with its own story.

Classical Venetian masks are divided into two types.
   The first view is that of displaying the heroes of a traditional comedy del arte. Harlequin, Colombine, Pierrot, Brigella and other characters have their own character and habits. A man wearing a mask of one of the heroes of Italian comedy should try to match the type.

For example, under the mask of Colombine, a beautiful actress was hiding in Venetian performances. According to legend, she was so proud of her natural beauty that she did not want to completely hide her face, even for a carnival. Therefore, Colombina always appeared before the public in a half mask, which hid from prying eyes only the upper part of her face.

The second type is masks that are not related to traditional theater. These characters gradually formed as carnival traditions developed. The Joker, the Venetian Lady, Bauta, the Cat, the Doctor of the Plague - all of them reflect the history of Venice with all its intricacies, ups and downs.
   Bauta's mask has always been one of the most sought after, as it allows you to completely hide your face. It was used by high-ranking persons who wanted to participate in the carnival incognito.

The mask of the Venetian beauty was preferred by noble ladies, so it is distinguished by a special sophisticated design.

But the traditional mask of Doctor Plague is associated with sad events: Venice has repeatedly become the site of terrible epidemics of this deadly disease.

Masks are made of leather or papier-mâché, as they were many years ago. For decoration, paints, gold and silver foil, rhinestones, feathers and other materials are used.

Each mask also implies a special outfit: raincoats, hats, dresses - all elements must match the mask and emphasize its beauty and personality.

In addition to traditional processions and processions, the carnival is also interesting for its theatrical performances, concerts and other recreational activities designed to amuse and surprise the townspeople and guests. Even a football match has a place on this celebration of life. Moreover, it passes in full accordance with medieval rules. The fact is that the Venetians believe that it was their city that gave this sport to the world, and therefore pay such close attention to it.

This year, the theme of the carnival is: "The most delicious holiday in the world!" The organizers decided to pay tribute to the upcoming Milan Expo 2015 exhibition, which will be held under the motto “Feed the Planet. Energy for life ”, therefore the Venetian holiday and all its events will be in tune with the Milan event.