Though
many cities around the world offer Mardi Gras celebrations, no one does it
quite like Venice. During Carnival of Venice, the world famous
St. Mark’s Square is filled with women adorned in elegant gowns and detailed
masks and men draped in flowing cloaks and wearing ornate disguises. Venice offers the perfect backdrop for these
festive party goers.
The
history of Carnival of Venice dates back to the 11th century. Venice was known to operate under a caste
system. Carnival was a time where
Venetians of varying social classes were able to mingle anonymously. The masks also gave attendees the ability to
partake in undesirable activities without risk of being recognized. This Venetian tradition fell into decline in
the 18th century. It was revived in the
late 1970s and continues to be a popular Venice attraction today. Each year Venice welcomes more than 3 million
visitors to its Carnival each year. I
had the pleasure of attending the celebration a few years back. As an added bonus, the event that year was
held during my February 14th birthday.
It was the perfect setting for a Valentine’s Day/Birthday/Fat Tuesday
celebration.
The
Carnival of Venice is marked by live music in the main square, theatrical performances
and street entertainers. There is a
skating rink set up in Campo San Polo.
You’ll want to be sure to watch the procession of decorated boats and
gondolas as they make their way down the Grand Canal. The annual costume ball called Gran Ballo dell
Maschere takes place in a different Venetian palace each year. Don’t miss the Volo dell’ Angelo (flight of
an angel) where you will see the
traditional Angel of Carnival fly on zip wire over St. Mark’s Square.
You can
always take a break from people watching to see some of the sights Venice has
to offer. Tour St. Mark’s Basilica or
see Venice from the Grand Canal onboard the Vaporetto (water bus). You can tour Doge’s Palace and crossover the
Bridge of Sighs. It goes without saying
that no trip to Venice is complete without a gondola ride. If you are looking
for that special souvenir, visit Murano Island and watch a glass blowing event
or visit one of the other lagoon islands like the colorful island of
Burano. Of course the best thing to do
when in the Floating City is to just “get lost in Venice” by wandering around
the quirky cobblestone streets and alleyways.
Start
your New Year off right with a new adventure in one of International Vacation Home Exchange’s properties
in Italy. Add this annual Venetian celebration to your
travel plans and watch how Carnival transforms Venice into even more of a
magical place, if that’s even possible.
Thank you to Travel Blogger Lisa
Medeiros. You can follow her on
twitter @lisamedeiros_
