The bright colours of the Carnevale

Venice, the capital of the Veneto region, has a population of about 270,000 people not including the marge numbers of tourists who flock to this city. The Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area has a population of 1.6 million.

The various names for Venice include 'Queen of the Adriatic', 'City of Water', 'City of Bridges', and 'The City of Light'. However, Venice and its people are probably best characterised by the festivals that they have held over centuries. These events are colourful affairs involving costumes and masks as well as the extravagance of a historic high society and wealthy social scene.

The Carnival or Carnevale lasts eight days before Lent each winter, and tourists flood the city for an orgy of pageants, concerts, balls, and masked displays until Shrove Tuesday signals an end to the party. Carnevale isn't just a Venetian tradition since similar festivities occur throughout much of the Roman Catholic world, including other cities in Italy. The term 'carnevale' comes from the Latin for 'farewell to meat' and suggests a good-bye party for the steaks and stews that Catholics traditionally gave up during the weeks of fasting before Easter. The masquerade aspect of Carnival is even older as the Romans celebrated winter with a fertility festival where masks were worn by citizens and slaves alike.

In its glory days of the 1700s, the Carnevale di Venezia began on 26th December and lasted until Ash Wednesday, with mask-wearing and other ‘unofficial’ activities continuing well into the spring.


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