Venetian Carnival

The time of the famous Venetian carnival is closing up. It's just the right time to recall Venice, its attractions and must-sees, its rich history and the cotemporary status of one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

The first thing that comes to mind when speaking about Venice is "the city of canals". Its amount really strikes - 150! Don't forget about 409 bridges in Venice and you wouldn't be surprised to hear that in Venice there are no cars and buses. You can reach any point by water or by feet (Venice is not very big). Big boats called vaporetto play the role of the public transport in Venice. Small private boats are taxies. However, gondola has become the transport symbol of the city. It's a narrow, usually black, boat for water walks. It's an expensive pleasure, but it's the only way to feel the authentic atmosphere of Venice.

The whole city is an art masterpiece; there are no ordinary, ugly buildings. Almost every structure seems to be a hotel. Even if it's a private house you surely can rent an apartment there. It's a city making living out of tourists, so the prices are high.

The centre and the heart of the city is San Marco square. Long ago Napoleon called it "the most elegant dining-room in Europe". The square really looks like salon. It's surrounded by the galleries and San Marco Cathedral. Between gallery and cathedral lies the exit to lagoon, very beautiful place. St Mark's Square is located in one of the lowest parts of the city, so is always the first to be covered in water when the acqua alta (high tide) arrives.

The place is also famous for its cafes - "Florian", "Lavena", "Quardi". "Florian" is considered to be the oldest café in Europe. Antique furniture, excellent coffee and live music are awaiting for you!
Doge's palace or Palazzo Ducale (in Italian) is an ancient building hiding medieval secrets and legends.

Rialto Bridge is one of the everlasting symbols of Venice. In Middle Ages there were several wooden bridges, but all of them were burnt. The present, stone bridge was built in the end of the XVI century. On the bridge you can find a lot of souvenir and jewelry shops.

So, now let's get back to the point. Venetian Carnival. It's on of the most popular carnivals in the world and shares its fame only with the carnival in Rio-de-Janeiro, although they are completely different. Venetian carnival covers the whole city. Colorful festive crowds fill the streets and the squares of Venice. The origin of Carnival dates back to the Middle Ages. In 1296 the last day before the Lent was proclaimed holiday.
This year the Carnival takes place from 18th till 28th December. The theme of the carnival 2006 is "The Dragon and the Lion", all the events and theatre performances are connected with the Chinese culture. The program is very diverse - from the shows on the streets for children to the luxurious parties in palaces for the adults. Costume and mask is a must!

For booking a hotel, please, go to Venice hotels page

Venice Carnival

The origins of the Carnival in Venice are similar to many carnivals in the world. The Carnival starts on the last day before Lent. The origin of the festivities is the will to consume all the meat before Lent (Carne = meat Vale = farewell, hence, Carnival).

The Carnival has no obvious religious significance. It's about drinking, disorder, roll reversing, blurring social status, costumes and masks, dancing, plays, parades and festivals all over town.

During Carnival people wear masks and costumes of different kinds: Costumes that symbolize characters from mythology, costumes related to nature, to legend, to styles and historic eras, to church characters, and to characters from the comedia del Arte. The most famous character in the Carnival of Venice is the doctor wearing black robe and white mask, born after the plague in Europe, when doctors were careful not to catch the disease from their patients.

In 1980 the Carnival tradition in Venice was renewed, after a long period. The Carnival is celebrated by costume parades, Gondola sailing, games and parties in the ancient palaces.
The Carnival in Venice takes place each year in February.
During this period the streets fill with artists, acrobats and musicians and the whole city is filled with people and very lively.

Apart from all the action in the streets there are also private events such as masked balls and gala dinners.

Every year the carnival has a different topic. Last year the topic of the Carnival was theater. The topic for 2006 carnival is the dragon and the lion, and the carnival is dedicated to China.

The carnival of 2006 starts on February 23, and continues through February 28.

The events of the carnival in Venice include special activities for kids, and dancing for the young.

The traditional Venetian carnival masks are made by artists in Venice. If you want to buy a Venetian mask, go to Unicorno Magico on 373 San Polo (At the end of the Rialto market). If you want to see how masks are made of papier mache you can go into the store and see the work in process.

Rachel Deutsch is the owner and writer of [http://www.dream-vacation-in-venice.com]. On this site, as in others, she shares her ecperience in travel, and the interest in Italy, its history and its pleasures.