Recently updated on January 17th, 2020 at 09:47 pm
Lively Venice is a place worth visiting any time, but it truly comes to life once a year during Carnival. It’s an event that attracts thousands of people from all over the world, who flock to this Italian city to get a taste of the ‘Real Venice’.
Carnival usually takes place early in the year and lasts for a few weeks. It ends on Fatty Tuesday, just before Lent starts, which means that in 2014 the Carnival will run from February 14 to March 4.
The Carnival dates back far into Venetian history, some say as early as the 1100s. But apparently during the sixteenth century the celebrations were at their most abundant and spectacular, and they have set the tone for the Carnival as it is today.
It’s a colourful festival with events taking place all over the city. On every street corner, you find people donning their most creative costumes and mysterious masks to attend balls and gala dinners held in many historic palaces such as the Palazetto Pisani Ferro and the Hotel Danieli. There are parades, theatre shows, concerts and numerous other performances taking place every day.
However, the highlight of the Carnival is ‘Il Volo dell’Angelo’, or The Flight of the Angel, which is held at the start of the festival. An acrobat walks a rope tied from a boat in the Riva degli Schiavoni to the belfry of St Mark’s Bell Tower, and onwards to the balcony of the Doge’s Palace. Here, the daredevil offers flowers to the Doge as a token of honour. This gesture also marks the official opening of the Carnival.
The ‘Vogata del silenzio’ parade on the last night of Carnival is another event not to be missed. Masked rowers pushing a string of candlelit gondolas through the Venetian canals is a mystical sight to see. The grand ball on San Marco Square and the traditional fireworks display mark the end of the Carnival, and are a sign that things in Venice are going back to normal.
If you’d like to be part of this magical Venetian experience, the February 23 departure of our Simply Italy trip (2013/14) stops off in Venice during Carnival season, with some free time to explore. Just don’t forget to leave room in your luggage for your carnival costume!
| This post is written by Jaklien van Melick, web producer at Trafalgar and blogger. |