• Welcome to the Carnival!

When you hear Venice, what do you think of? Of the Italian city on water or of the mysterious carnival masks? If it’s the second choice, we are happy to present you our next article. :) The Venetian Carnival or Carnavale di Venezia is, as the title suggests, a festival which is annually celebrated in the city of masks and art. It ends at the beginning of the Lent, 40 days before the Catholic Easter.

• A bit of History...

It is said that if you want to tell a good story, you have to start from the beginning. Let’s talk a little about the first Venetian Carnival. It was held in the 17th century in San Marco Square. Reason? Everything started with the victory of the Venetian Republic in 1162 against the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrich II von Treven. He supported the king Frederick I (also known as Barbarossa) in gaining supremacy over the states of northern Italy...Well, enough of that! My intention isn't to make your heads explode. Venice became prestigious, thanks to the Carnival, becoming one of the hotspots of the 18th century. It was an amazing opportunity for people to show they’re creative side, to enjoy the show and feel good. Unfortunately, Carnival was banned between 1797-1979 and with it the wearing of masks! Horrible, isn't it ?! Fortunately, the Italian government has decided to bring back the Venetian history and culture, and now around 3 million visitors attend the festival each year!

• An unforgettable contest

One of the most important events at the carnival is the la maschera più bella contest - the most beautiful mask. Coming to this topic, I think you might be interested in the origin of masks. During the carnival, the dress code allowed people to wear whatever they wanted, hiding their social status. Betting was allowed, most of the laws being suspended during the party. Great, isn’t it? That may sound strange, but young men would throw eggshells filled with rose perfume towards their girlfriends or friends…romantic, don't you think? I'm sure people had more fun back then.

• The language of the Masks

I'm sure you've seen many types of masks (and no, I'm not referring to medical ones), but do you know what they are called? Let's start with the baùta masks (bauta). They were originally white, simple, with a prominent nose and no mouth, covering the entire face. Bauta was also used in political events, to take anonymous decisions. It was worn with a long black cape called a tabarro closed in the front. This really "festive" outfit became mandatory in the Venetian government, at one point...very fancy.

The most famous mask types are the colombina masks. These cover the eyes, nose and cheeks of the wearer. They are easier to personalize, eating isn’t a problem - a victory for the food lovers - and the masks can never be too pompous. I’m kidding...unless... Fun Fact: They were named after an actress from the masked theatre - Commedia dell’arte - because she didn’t want the whole world to know her identity. However, the story is not true, the Columbia being a creation of the modern world. Did I disappoint you? Oh dear, I'm so sorry!

In a more or less ironic way, the next mask fits the current circumstance: Medico Della Peste or The Plague Doctors. This type of mask was created in the 17th century by the scientist Charles de Lorme, in order to protect himself from the disease. So why would anyone wear such a mask at the carnival? Well, first of all, no one and nothing is stoping you and, secondly, it is a modern convention.

The most uncomfortable masks are Moretta or Servetta Muta. I think you're wondering: What do these words mean? Calm down, I'll enlighten you now. Moretta means the dark one, while servetta muta means the mute slave. (*ironic*) Festive, don’t you think?! The inspiration were black masks called visard which had the purpose of protecting the face of the wearer from the sun. The moretta masks are not tied, but they have a button on the back of the mask, which the wearer bites in order to prevent the mask from falling. Yeah...no, thank you! Fortunately, by 1760 they were no longer used!

By their name, you won’t recognize them, but Voltro (which means face in Italian) or Larva (which means ghost in Latin) masks are some of the most iconic ones. These cover the whole face, like the bauta mask, but they are much more form-fitting. There are thousands of models and they are generally worn with a veil, tricorn hat or with a matching suit with a mask. From my point of view, this kind of suit is the most breathtaking. ;)

Other masks specific of the Italian comedy theater are the pantalone, arlecchino and zanni masks. The characters who wore pantalone masks were generally characters with strong personalities, bright people with brilliant ideas. On the other hand, actors with zanni masks embodied the exact opposite. They represented ignorant and uneducated people, peasants or jesters. They were made of leather, had a long nose and a low forehead, to amuse and stand out as much as possible. While we're still on this topic about clowns: as the name suggests, the arlecchino masks were worn by the harlequin actors. They have large, bulging eyes, a short nose and a small bump on their foreheads, which symbolize a demon's horns.

The end of the Article...

Now that I have presented you this mountain of information about the Venetian Carnival and its colorful masks, I hope I piqued your interest in this elegant and creative subject! What do you think about this kind of carnival? Would you like to participate? If so, how would you prepare for it and what kind of mask would you wear?

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editorial: Maria Mătăsaru

graphic design: Maria Matăsaru

translation: Ioana Mătăsaru

DP (desktop publishing): Maria Mătăsaru