Carnevale di Venezia(Carnaval de Venise) en 🇮🇹 Italie

The Carnival of Venice is one of the world's most elegant and visually stunning festivals, transforming the floating city into a living museum of 18th-century splendor for approximately two weeks before Lent. The tradition dates back to at least the 12th century, when Venetians celebrated their victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia with public festivities. The modern carnival was revived in 1979 after nearly two centuries of dormancy.

The masks and costumes of Venice Carnival are its most iconic feature. Traditional Venetian masks include the Bauta, a full-face white mask with a projecting chin that allows eating and drinking without removal; the Moretta, an oval black mask once worn by women visiting convents; and the Medico della Peste, the beaked plague doctor mask. Master mask-makers, or mascherari, craft elaborate masks by hand using papier-mache, leather, ceramics, and glass, carrying on a tradition that was once one of Venice's most important artisan guilds.

Piazza San Marco is the epicenter of celebrations, where costumed revelers pose for photographs against the backdrop of the Basilica and the Doge's Palace. The Flight of the Angel, now called the Flight of the Eagle, opens the carnival with a dramatic zipline descent from the Campanile to the piazza. The Best Masked Costume competition draws participants from around the world, with some costumes costing thousands of euros and requiring months of preparation.

Private masked balls in historic Venetian palazzi offer an exclusive and atmospheric experience, recreating the glamour of Venice's golden age. These events feature period music, elaborate dining, and the intoxicating anonymity that masks provide. Public events include concerts, theatrical performances, and street entertainment throughout the city. The carnival brings significant tourism revenue to Venice, with hotels and restaurants fully booked months in advance, though the influx also intensifies debates about tourism's impact on the city's fragile infrastructure and resident community.

Annual festival in Venice famous for elaborate masks and costumes, gondola parades on the Grand Canal, and masked balls, attracting millions of visitors over two weeks each February.