events 

CARNIVAL
(February-March)

The Venice Carnival, which is now known world-wide, has become more important and famous during the last twenty years. The origins of this celebration, however, actually go back to the second half of the twelfth century when the anniversaryof the a victory against the Patriarch of Aquileia who was guilty of having attacked the city of Grado with the aid of some Friulan feudals, was celebrated on the Thursday before Lent. The celebrations consisted in the "execution" of a bull and twelve pigs (that had to be donated as a forfeit for the Patriarch of Aquileia's defeat), followed by the "Herculean feats" (human pyramids) and Morescoes between the two Venetian rival factions of the inhabitants of Castello and San Nicolò.
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Another celebration in the eighteenth century on the Thursday before Lent was the "cazza" the bull hunt. In those days aristocrats played football in two teams with 25 players each and had to throw a leather ball into the adversary's ground to the sound of fighting.

in 1751 the wheel-barrow race began. This was a race between various contestants, the origins of which were quite unusual. Two street-sweepers (Cosimo e Gaspare) challenged one another under the encouragement of two aristocrats who promised wine to whoever finished their work first.

One of the celebrations that still takes place today, in a slightly modified form, is that of the "Flying Turk".
This involved the Doge who was given flowers by an acrobat who came flying down from the bell tower of Saint Marks, head first.
Today, this has become the more tranquil "Flying dove" and it marks the opening of the modern day celebrations by dropping millions of confetti on the spectators' heads.

In the eighteenth century, when carnival began already on the first Sunday in October, it was usual for people to walk all around the city wearing a mask to hide their identity.

This tradition was controlled by nothing less than the laws of the Serenissima Republic. For example, it was forbidden to wear a mask at night, in churches or during outbreaks of the plague. It did, however, enable the aristocrats, middle-class, ladies and foreigners to remain anonymous on their visits to game houses and theatres where they gambled and were free to act as libertines. The fall of the Venetian Republic also marked the end of the Venetian carnival.

Today, the celebrations last approximately two weeks. Historic processions, concerts and different types of performances and fire works are organised in Piazza S. Marco and in other squares.There is also live music in many bars and restaurants, comedies and ballets in the theatres and at the opera, and for the lucky few their are also elegant balls in luxurious palaces.
Millions of tourists and visitors arrive in the city, sometimes in such numbers that the streets and bridges are filled and the police have to be called in to direct the "one-way" traffic that becomes necessary.

In general, as is usual in Venice, one walks a lot: to admire the masks set against the magnificent Venetian background, to mix with the crowd in home-made fancy dress or to be photographed in grandiose costumes that were made to impress the onlookers.

Over the last few years, this celebration has lost a great deal of the spontaneity that had led to its revival at the beginning of the 80's. Today, although it has become the subject of sponsors and advertising campaigns it still manages to maintain its fascination of the uniqueness and tradition that only Venice can offer.


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