carnival of venice
In 2008 the Venice Carnival will take place from January 25th to February 5th.
We are reserving tickests for the splendid Masked Balls and Gala dinners:
* "Il Ballo del Doge" (800,00 euro per person) Saturday Feb. 2, 2008 - >> See Details
* "El Ballo de la Theriaca" (350,00 euro per person, discounts with Membership card) Saturday Feb. 2, 2008
>> inquiries and bookings <<
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Uh, are you searching for something about the Carnival of Venice - il Carnevale di Venezia? here is "pane per i vostri denti", bread for your teeth --- as we say in Italy. This is still a draft but I do not care; if you need it, enjoy it :-)
Link if you quote
You may think that at the time of Casanova, Carnival was the right excuse for abandoning oneself to libertinage, and for some it was true. The fog, the masks, the music, the dances.. all seemed set on purpose for mysterious loves, romance, pleasures. But where does Carnival come from? and what is it, really?
The Carnival in Venice is said to have originated from a victory of the "Serenissima Repubblica" (that is Venice: in those times it was a powerful state), in the war against Ulrico, Patriarch of Aquileia, in the year 1162. To celebrate this victory, dances started to take place every year in St. Mark's Square, the biggest square of Venice. Magicians and others joined the fun. With time, the feast was also celebrated in private palazzi.
A special form of street-theatre was born (la Commedia dell'arte) which then became worldly known and appreciated with its characters, some of which are still famous for their mask (think of Arlecchino (Harlequin) and his mate Colombina, Pantaloon (Pantalone in Italian), Zanni. Zanni is the preferred character of Dario Fo's, the Italian actor and director and writer (oh, how can I define him? he even won the Nobel prize for Literature, did you know?).
Let me add that the "Commedia dell'Arte" was not just fun, and is not just fun: it was born as a reaction to the classical theater plays, and it meant free improvisation on stage, wittily and ironically putting on scene everyday life scenes and conflicts between the nobles and their servants.
Year after year, comedy writing followed improvisation (without replacing it completely). The most famous playwriter of Commedia dell'Arte is the Venetian Carlo Goldoni.
These comedies were not only played during Carnival, but all year round in many cities of Italy and Europe. Actors were called "guitti", their life was hard, and they were constantly on tour.
Now let's go back to the Carnival of Venice: here everything contributed to give life to a tradition of Carnival feasts, parades, masked balls (both open to public and private), an atmosphere appreciated by adults and children.
The peak of parties and shows is usually during the last days of Carnival - from the Thursday to the Tuesday (Mardi Gras) preceeding Ashes Wednesday (which Christianity celebrates 40 days before Easter). In these days Venice is fully crowded with people, whose first aim eager to see and take pictures at the magnificent Carnival costumes of characters which populate the city. Be forewarned: in the narrow streets, confusion is at top. But this is part of the event.
You'll notice that in the street only few people is wearing a mask. And this is too bad, people are all invited to disguise their fantasy. You can either rent a costume or wear your own, and dress code is recommended if you join a party. But if you just plan a walk across the city, a fancy make-up or a simple mask over your face is enough to feel part of the show (I can tell you from personal experience). As you can imagine, there are plenty of masks ateliers, and you'll find Carnival make-up artists in the streets, painting your face wonderfully for a little fee.
This story is to be continued.. thank you for reading so far. and... oh, what about bookmarking this page? or place a link on your website if these lines were useful.
ciao