Venice is a land laced in romance, winding canals and renaissance dreams and is one of the many reasons why travelers fall in love with the lure of Italy. Those who seek to be inspired by the costumed extravaganza that floods the shores and sweeps the gondolas off their feet should glide into Carnival of Venice.
As the winter eases her burden and spring starts to dart in, the whole city sees fit to celebrate by planning one of the biggest and most outrageous costume parties on the planet.
Even though the excitement will take you out dancing beneath the stars you cannot go without a costume. In the weeks preceding and during the festivities the windows of Venice will be filled to the brim with graceful masks adorned in sequins, sparkles, feathers and lace.
Venetian masks are a thing of true beauty and have been part of the fun since the 15th century and local sculptor Guerrino Lovato is the person to seek from the crowds if you want your own memento from the mask maker of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Eyes Wide Shut’.
Many take the mask one step further and choose to dress head to toe in sheer extravagance. Wandering around the city beneath the stars of Carnival is an experience drenched in color and surrealism.
Along with the costumes you can watch the gondola procession in which every drifting gondola in the whole city parades along the canal curating a photographers dream. Musical and theatrical performances fill the streets, mock jousts cause crowds to uproar and even an ice skating rink is erected in the Campo San Palo.
Everyone is in the highest of spirits with dancing, drinking and feasting going on throughout the weekends. One of the highlights of the festivities has to be the infamous masked ball which anyone can attend as long as they are attired in either fairytale splendor or nightmarish fashion.
Stepping into a world filled with masks, feathers, character and color at the Carnival of Venice is sure to make you feel as though drifting through a dream.
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