Carnival of Venice.

The best carnival in the world.

Masks.

In a society as corrupt and libertine than in previous years of the Republic, the mask was a legal cover necessary and irreplaceable.

Adultery reigned supreme and the game ruining entire families, sometimes forcing nobles to seek alms at street corners.


The mask protects all disgraces.


Thread the Venetians tabarro long cape and they hid their faces behind the white mask, the Bautte.
They are wearing a black tricorn. The Moretta, it is a small oval mask reserved for women.

Carnival disappeared almost entirely during the Austrian and French occupation.
It was frowned upon, indeed.
It reappeared in the early 80's still attracting more people.


Over time, the disguises evolved, drawing inspiration from the Commedia dell'Arte.
Today as in the past, the whole town turns at the carnival, and it is the pleasure of living prevailing.


Many Venetian artisans still produce such masks Harlequin, Columbine, Pulcinella and more ....

Wearing a mask

In the first festivals in Venice, it was not customary to wear the mask. This custom has spread after a 1268 law that permitted the wearing of masks in Venice
not only during the carnival, but for a period that lasted six months of the year.
In Venice, wearing a mask is permitted only for a short period of time from December 26 to Shrove Tuesday.
From December 26, at San Stefano, the Venetians are used to escape masked, richly dressed.
On the Campo San Stefano, the practice, we then came walking masked costumes.
Yet the campo San Stefano had to leave his seat at the Piazza San Marco, wider and can accommodate more people.
Thus, every winter many masks parades are held under the Procuratie.
The only exception to the rule, "Bautte." Its port is allowed from 5 October to 16 December but only in the afternoon,
the day of Saint-Marc and the Sensa (Ascension), at the investiture, or doges of proxies provided that it is not in a period of fasting.

The masks and other Bautte

The Bautte Venetian mask is the most widespread is the favorite Venetian mask.
It includes more than a disguise mask wide: brimmed hat silk or black velvet cap.
Only the mouth remains open and visible.
A free from this clever camouflage, difficult to distinguish man from woman.
The domino ample hooded jacket, is also well Venetian.
The Moretta is the small oval mask reserved for women, two holes big eyes absent.
And then there are all the other masks, conventional or otherwise, from commedia dell'arte or born of imagination of everyone.

Artisans

This tradition of the mask is still alive and well in Venice as anywhere else.
Today Venetian artisans still produce the masks of commedia dell'arte: Harlequin, Columbine, Pulcinella.
Repeating the same gestures since sometimes thousand years, are transmitted jealously their trade secrets from generation to generation,
these craftsmen of Venice remain the owners of a part of this dream Venetian which is both the beauty of Carnival as the City of Venice.