All About Carnival in Venice: Venetian Masks and More!

You haven’t celebrated Carnival until you’ve been to Carnevale in Venice!

Carnival (or “Carnevale”) is one of the biggest celebrations in Italy—and from Venetian masks to masquerade balls, no place does it like Venice! Like the idea of seeing the city at its most festive and colorful? Here’s a handy Q&A about Carnevale in Venice!

(And by the way: In honor of Carnevale, we’re running a 20% off discount code, good for all group Walks of Italy tours, through February! Find out more at the end of the post).

When is Venice’s Carnevale?

Carnevale in Venice, as with Carnival around the world, takes place in the days leading up to Lent. In 2013, it runs from January 26 to February 12.

Where did the idea of Carnevale come from?

During the 40 days of Lent, parties were off-limits—and so was eating foods like meat, sugar, and fats. As a result, people would try to get rid of all of their rich food and drink (and get their partying out of the way!) before Lent. Hence… Carnival. (In fact, the word Carnevale may come from the Latin words carne and vale, meaning “farewell to meat”!). According to tradition, Venice’s Carnival got its start in 1162, when townspeople celebrated a victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia. Festivities became The festival declined during the 18th century. By the 16th century, Venetians were celebrating Carnevale in style!

What about Venetian masks?

Pietro Longhi’s “The Ridotto,” showing the commonplace use of masks 1750s Venice

The tradition of masking has a long tradition in Venice. All the way back in 1268, a law even was passed to ban—of all things—putting on masks and throwing perfumed eggs! By the time of the Renaissance, masks were a fixture of Carnevale celebrations. By the 16th century, the popular Commedia d’Arte troupe performed slapstick comedy in the piazzas of Venice—while masked. Believe it or not, though, masking was hardly just a Carnival tradition. By the 18th century, Venetians were allowed to wear masks for six months a year. And they took advantage! Black velvet masks, for example, would be worn in “houses of ill repute”—especially gambling parlors—to shield their owners’ identities, as shown in the painting here.

So… you’re saying Carnevale in Venice has been celebrated non-stop since the 13th century?

Not quite. By the 18th century, Venice’s Carnevale festivities were going downhill. With the Austrian conquest of Venice in 1798, mask-wearing—as well as Carnevale—were all but finished. In the 1930s, Mussolini banned the celebrations altogether.

A typical sight during Carnevale in Venice!

So what changed? In 1979, a group of Venetian artisans banned together to restart Carnevale. If that seems like a ploy for tourism, it was—and it was one that worked. Today, about 3 million people travel to Venice every year for Carnevale. The 1970s are also when the long-forgotten art of mask-making was restarted.

What is Venice’s Carnevale like today?

Today, Carnevale in Venice is a huge celebration that goes on for two weeks. While many events—particularly the opulent masquerade balls—require invitations and have steep ticket prices, many others, like the candle-lit parade of boats, concerts, and street performances, are free and open to the public. (You can see a complete program for the 2013 Venetian Carnevale here).

Gorgeous costumes abound during Carnevale in Venice!

Well, bummer. I’m not going to be in Venice during Carnevale. Can I get in on the fun anyway?

Of course—at least when it comes to those Venetian masks! Just be aware that the majority of mask shops in Venice sell cheap, imported masks, a far cry from the artisanal tradition that Venetian mask-making truly is. So do yourself, and the artisans of Venice, a favor, and choose your mask shop carefully. Need help? Here are some of our favorite mask shops in Venice (several of which even run mask-making workshops; check their websites for more!):

A Venetian mask shop in Venice

Benor Maschere Venezia (Santa Croce): Hidden behind Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio, this artisanal mask shop boasts a gorgeous collection, all made there in the workshop. Tel.: +39 041710033. Address: S. Croce 1109.

Il Canovaccio (Castello): The artisans here create Venetian masks and papier-mâché objects meant for the stage. Tel.: +39 0415210393. Address: Castello 5369.

Oh, and what’s that you mentioned about a discount code?

Right! In occasion of both the  Carnival celebrations and Valentine’s Day, we’ve decided to offer 20 percent off on all Walks of Italy group tours booked for any future date. They must be booked by 12:01AM PST on Thursday, Feb. 28 2013. Just enter the coupon code CARNIVAL20 in the appropriate field and proceed with payment. The discount is valid for new bookings only, and must be used while booking online.

Please note: This discount offer cannot be used in combination with any other promotional offer. Bookings affected by this discount are not eligible for any additional discounts past, present, or future, and discount cannot be applied to previously purchased tours. Cancellations during the Carnival promotion will not be honored until after the coupon code has expired.

Happy Carnevale!