COLEGIUL NAIONAL GIB

MIHAESCU
DRGANI VLCEA
LUCRARE PENTRU
OBINEREA ATESTATULUI DE
COMPETEN LINGVISTIC IN
LIMBA ENGLEZ

VENICE
CARNIVAL
Prof. coord.: Nadia Ptru
Aura Sandu

Elev:

MAI 2015
Table of contents
1. Why I love
Venice.
.2
2. Carnevale: farewell to meat,hello to
fantasy.4
3. Between history and
traditions5
4. Carnival
masks
10
5. Types of
masks
11
6. The Dark

History

of

Venetian

Carnival Mask15
2

7. Entertainment

and

public

shows..17
8.10 Unusual Facts about the Venice
Carnival18
9.Conclusion
..21
10. Bibliography..
..22

Why I love Venice

To discover the real Venice you just need to fold your
map away, lose track of time, and let yourself live a slow,
stress-free life, Venetian-style.
Venices vast architectural, artistic, and musical heritage is
simply mind-boggling. It has been the birthplace or residence of
many famous, influential and talented people, like adventurer
Marco Polo, painters Canaletto and Veronese, architect Andrea
Palladio, author (and famous womanizer) Casanova, composer
Antonio Vivaldi, and art collector Peggy Guggenheimall of
which left their mark on the city, with monuments, museums,
exhibitions, and concerts in their names.
But to me, the citys appeal and authentic beauty is not so
much in its largest sights, but in its labyrinth of alleys, canals
and bridges; its multitude of piazzas; and its elegantly frilly
architecture. I can just spend hours walking around taking
pictures or sitting on a sunny terrace, watching people go by.
Oh, have I mentioned Venice Carnival?
T he Carnival (Carnevale) of Venice is one of Italys most
famous events. During this time, magic fills the city as crowds
of masked party-goers and tourists in costumes decsend to
celebrate a world class tradition. Its a surreal experience where
the canals and piazzas really come to life.
Venice Carnival is one of the worlds most colorful
celebrations, filled with vibrant costumes, elaborate masks and
one of the oldest and sweetest food traditions in Italy. It takes
place from Mid-February until early March and against the
backdrop of one of the worlds most romantic cities provides a
spectacle unlike any other.
4

Carnevale Farewell to Meat,

Hello to Fantasy
The word carnival (Italian: carnevale) possibly comes from
the Latin carnem levare or carnelevarium, which means to take
away or remove meat!. A more probable etymology for the
word carnevale may be derived from the Latin carne + vale,
meaning "farewell to meat".
Carnevale (or Carnivale, or Carnavale, alternate spellings
you may find), is a festival which can trace its roots back to the
Roman Saturnalia, a festival held in
mid-December to honor the god
Saturn with feasting, gift giving and
role reversal. As often happened
with such festivals, Catholics found
a way to work the festival into their
own liturgical year.
Carnival was the final hurrah
as winter headed towards spring,
and the long Lenten season of fasting and abstinence. It was,
perhaps, not only a last chance to indulge the passions of the
flesh, but an opportunity to consume any meat which had been
put up for winter that might not stay fresh enough for
consumption until spring brought the end of Lent and Easter
Where did the idea of Carnevale come from?
During the 40 days of Lent, parties were off-limitsand so was
eating foods like meat, sugar, and fats. As a result, people
5

would try to get rid of all of their rich food and drink (and get
their partying out of the way!) before Lent. Hence Carnival.
According to tradition, Venices Carnival got its start in 1162,
when townspeople celebrated a victory over the Patriarch of
Aquileia.

The
Carnival
in Venice Italy:
between
history
and
traditions
The
Venice
Carnival history and its origins is a subject that fascinates many
people: to know when and how the extraordinary Carnival in
Venice started, the evolution in the use of masks and period
costumes, curious anecdotes or historical events that have
marked the way ... it is a fascinating journey in the ancient
celebration of the Venetian Carnival, between history and
traditions.
It is said that the Carnival of Venice was started from a
victory of the "Serenissima Repubblica" against the Patriarch of
Aquileia, Ulrico di Treven in the year 1162. In the honor of this
victory, the people started to dance and make reunions in San
Marco Square. Apparently, this festival started on that period
and became official in the Renaissance.
However, under the rule of the King of Austria, the festival
was outlawed entirely in 1797 and the use of masks became
strictly forbidden. It reappeared gradually in the nineteenth
6

century, but only for short periods and above all for private
feasts, where it became an occasion for artistic creations
Considered one of the most important events in Veneto,
Carnival has found in Venice the perfect location to fully express
its spirit dedicated to playing and breaking down social
barriers.Venice attracts tourists from all over the world and
every year the Carnival in Venice transforms the city into a
cocktail of parties and fun with its distinctive appointments of
entertainment, gastronomy
and music.
The
Venice
Carnival
origins are to be found in two
ancient traditions: the Latin
Saturnalia and the Greek
Dionysian cults - major
religious festivals involving
the use of masks and
symbolic
representations.
The Venice Carnival history
and meanings take their cue
from these traditions, recasting them for their own purposes: in
the Saturnalia of ancient Rome the social order was overturned
and slaves and free citizens poured into the city to celebrate
with music and wild dancing; in the Greek Dionysia processions
and plays were intended to unite the human being with nature
in a superior harmony, free of social conventions established by
man.
Venice has reinterpreted the ancient Greek and Roman
festivals to meet the needs of the Venetian Republic, which
promoted the Carnival to give to the people, especially the
lower classes, a time for fun and parties. The Venetian Carnival
masks guaranteed total anonymity, a sort of levelling of the
social divisions that sometimes allowed citizens to even make a
public mockery of authority and aristocracy. These generous
licenses represented an outlet for tensions and ill-feeling that
7

was created in society because of the strict limits imposed by

morality and the public order of the Republic of Venice.

The Carnival in Venice history as an official public holiday,

however, began only in 1296, when a decree of the Senate
declared a public holiday the day before the beginning of
Lent.The Venice Carnival characters included jugglers, acrobats,
musicians and dancers. They organized all kinds of events,
including performances and exhibitions absorbing so much
attention that Venetians business and production activities
became less important. For many centuries, the celebration of
the Carnival in Venice would last six weeks, from December 26
to Ash Wednesday, bringing joy and fun to the main areas of the
city such as the Riva degli Schiavoni and St Marks Square.
Sometimes the celebration of the Carnival in Venice, between
parties, pranks and shows began during the first days of
October.
Soon, a close relationship started between theatre and
carnival: in fact, as well as large outdoor parties, small
performances and shows of various kinds were organized in
private homes, theatres and cafes in Venice, which always
transgressed into wild parties. In the elegant Venetian palaces
lavish masked balls marked the beginning of a long and
fascinating
tradition
of
masked
parties
in
Venice.Well
known
and
renowned
throughout
Europe, the Venice Carnival
in the eighteenth century
became a real institution.
Visited each year by
thousands of visitors, the
prestigious
festival
of
Carnival in Venice at that
8

time reached its zenith and international recognition: the

effervescent and transgressive atmosphere, the comedy,
masks, spectacular shows and the public gambling house made
Venice The magnet of Europe.

However, the intent of the Carnival in Venice, the origins

and meaning of the festival, an opportunity to vent tensions
and discontentment, caused the opposite effect: the ability to
completely hide ones identity in traditional Venice Carnival
costumes and fancy masks increasingly became the perfect
place for theft and harassment of various kinds.These serious
excesses forced the Venetian Republic to issue a series of
decrees to limit abuses and fraudulent use of masks and
costumes in Venice, measures that gradually went to undermine
the very essence of the Carnival in Venice and the origins of
freedom and equality.
After sunset, under the cover of darkness, the Venetian

Carnival transgressed into something more sinister, mysterious

attackers could freely commit crimes of various kinds with the
certainty of impunity thanks to the anonymity guaranteed by
the mask. Since 1339 a ban was decreed on Venice Carnival
masks and costumes at night.
The threat to the safety of the inhabitants of Venice was
due to the possibility for criminals to hide weapons and other
10

dangerous objects under Venice Carnival costumes. Numerous

official documents containing the prohibition to carry objects of
a dangerous nature were therefore issued.Venice Carnival 18th
century also forbade travelling to the
casinos with masks and carnival
costumes, due to the numerous
incidents in which unknown gamblers
were able to escape their creditors.
With the fall of the Venetian
Republic in 1797, a permanent ban
of Venice Carnival costumes arrived,
with the exception of private parties
in Venetian palaces and the Ballo
della Cavalchina at the La Fenice
Theatre: the Venice Carnival history
was hard hit and a long period of
decline ensued that led to the
gradual shutdown of all parties
connected to it.
The last Carnival in Venice is dated at 1797. The fall of the
Republic at the hands of Napoleon marked the end of the long
independence of Venice and the abolition of the many traditions
of the Venetian Carnival for about two centuries.Only from 1967
the first parties were reorganized with parades of masks and
costumes, bringing back to life traditions and the Venice
Carnival history.
After a long absence, the Carnival returned to operate in
1979. The Italian government decided to bring back the history
and culture of Venice, and sought to use the traditional Carnival
as the centerpiece of its efforts. The redevelopment of the
masks began as the pursuit of some Venetian college students
for the tourist trade. Today, approximately 3 million visitors
come to Venice every year for the Carnival. One of the most
important events is the contest for la maschera pi bella ("the
most beautiful mask") placed at the last weekend of the
11

Carnival and judged by a panel of international costume and

fashion designers.

Carnival masks
Masks have always been an important feature of the
Venetian carnival. Traditionally people were allowed to wear
them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day,
December 26) and the start of the carnival season at midnight
of Shrove Tuesday. As masks were also allowed on Ascension
and from October 5 to Christmas, people could spend a large
portion of the year in
disguise.
Maskmakers
(mascherari)
enjoyed
a
special position in society,
with their own laws and their
own guild.
There is little evidence
explaining the motive for the
earliest mask wearing in
Venice. One scholar argues
that covering the face in
public
was
a
uniquely
Venetian response to
one of the most rigid
class
hierarchies
in
European history.
Venetian
masks
can be made of leather,
porcelain or using the
original
glass
technique. The original
masks
were
rather

12

simple in design, decoration, and often had a symbolic and

practical function.
Nowadays, most of them are made with the application of
gesso and gold leaf and are all hand-painted using natural
feathers and gems to decorate however, this makes them
rather expensive when compared to the widespread, low-quality
counterfeit masks produced mainly by Chinese factories. This
unfair competition is a further factor that accelerates the
decline of this historical craftsmanship peculiar to the city of
Venice.

Types of masks
Several distinct styles of mask are worn in the Venice Carnival,
some with identifying names. People with different occupations
wore different masks.

Bauta
The bauta (sometimes referred as batta) is a mask, today
often heavily gilded though originally simple stark white, which
is designed to comfortably cover the entire face; this traditional
grotesque piece of art was characterized by the inclusion of an
over-prominent nose, a thick supraorbital ridge, a projecting
"chin line", and no mouth. The mask's beak-like chin is designed
to enable the wearer to talk, eat, and drink without having to
remove it, thereby preserving the wearer's anonymity. The
bauta was often accompanied by a red or black cape and a
tricorn.
In the 18th century,
together with a black cape
called a "tabarro", the bauta
had become a standardized
society mask and disguise
regulated by the Venetian
government.
13

It was obligatory to wear it at

certain
political
decision-making
events when all citizens were required
to act anonymously as peers. Only
citizens (i.e., men) had the right to use
the bauta. Its role was similar to the
anonymizing processes invented to
guarantee general, direct, free, equal
and
secret
ballots
in
modern
democracies. Also, the bearing of
weapons along with the mask was
specifically prohibited by law and
enforceable by the Venetian police.

Columbina
The Columbina (also known as Columbine
and as a
Columbino) is a half-mask, only covering the wearer's eyes,
nose, and upper cheeks. It is often highly decorated with gold,
silver, crystals and feathers. It is held up to the face by a baton
or is tied with ribbon as with most other Venetian masks. The
Columbina mask is named after a stock character in the
Commedia dell'arte: Columbina was a maidservent and
soubrette who was an adored part of the Italian theatre for
generations. It is said it was designed for an actress because
she did not wish to have her beautiful face covered completely.
In fact, the Columbina is entirely a modern creation. There are
no historic paintings depicting its use on the stage or in social
life.
While both men and women now wear this mask, it began as a
woman's analog to the bauta.

14

15

Moretta / Servetta muta

The moretta (meaning dark one lady) or servetta muta
(meaning mute servant woman) was a small strapless black
velvet oval mask with wide eyeholes and no lips or mouth worn
by patrician women. It derived from the visard mask invented in
France in the sixteenth century, but differed in not having a
hole to speak through. The mask was only just large enough to
conceal a woman's identity and was held in place by the wearer
biting on a button or bit (the women wearing this mask were
unable to speak, hence muta) and was sometimes finished off
with a veil. The Rhinocerous by Pietro Longhi depicts this mask
in use in 1751. It fell into disuse about 1760.

Volto (Larva)
The volto (Italian for face) or larva (meaning ghost in Latin)
is the iconic modern Venetian mask: it is often stark white
though also frequently gilded and decorated, and is commonly
worn with a tricorn and cloak. It is secured in the back with a
ribbon.
Unlike
the
moretta muta, the volto
covers the entire face
including the whole of
the chin and extending
back to just before the
ears and upwards to
the top of the forehead;
also unlike the moretta
muta, it depicts simple
facial features like the
nose and lips. Unlike the bauta, the volto cannot be worn while
eating and drinking because the coverage of the chin and
cheeks is too complete (although the jaw on some original
commedia masks was hinged, this is not a commedia mask and
so is never hingedthe mouth is always completely closed).
16

Pantalone
Another classic character from the Italian
stage, Pantalone, meaning he who wears the
pants or father figure in Italian, is usually
represented as a sad old man with an
oversized nose like the beak of a crow with
high brows and slanted eyes (meant to signify
intelligence on the stage).

Arlecchino
Arlecchino's half-mask is painted black with an ape-like nose
and a "bump" to signify a devil's horn
Arlecchino, meaning harlequin in
Italian, is a zanni character of the
commedia. He is meant to be a kind of
"noble savage", devoid of reason and
full of emotion, a peasant, a servant,
even a slave. His originally wooden
and later leather half-mask painted
black depicts him as having a short,
blunt, ape-like nose, a set of wide,
round, arching eyebrows, a rounded beard, and always a
"bump" upon his forehead meant to signify a devil's horn. He is
a theatrical counterpoint to and often servant of Pantalone, and
the two characters often appeared together on the stage.

Zanni
The Zanni character is another classic of
the stage. His mask is a half mask in
leather, showing him with low forehead,
17

bulging eyebrows and a long nose with a reverse curve towards

the end. It is said that the longer his nose, the more stupid he
is.
The low forehead is also seen as a sign of stupidity.

Mask-makers
The mascherari (or mask-makers)
had their own statute dated 10 April
1436. They belonged to the fringe
of painters and were helped in their
task by sign-painters who drew
faces onto plaster in a range of
different
shapes
and
paying
extreme.

The Dark History of

a Venetian Carnival Mask
The Carnevale di Venezia or the Carnival of Venice is one
of Europes most festive events. It is held annually and occurs
in February and March. Revelers fill the streets of this most
fascinating of Italian cities celebrating with food, drink and gala
balls. Participants wear outlandish costumes while parading the
streets, celebrating with vigor. The most well-known piece of
the costume is the mask. Today this face covering is a sign of
festivity. It has not always been that way, however.
The employment of the mask and costume has a dark
history with its association to the Black Death plagues that
swept Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. In those times
Bubonic Plague was ravaging Europe, killing millions of people.
This horrific event led to the arrival of a new profession
plague doctors. Unfortunately, at best these were young,
inexperienced medical students, third rate doctors who could
not build a clientele or outright charlatans. Often these
individuals were hired by towns that had been hit by the plague
18

to try and heal the sick and dying. Needless

to say, the cure failed to produce results. Not
only did patients die, so did most doctors.
In an effort to protect themselves, the
plague doctors developed bizarre costumes
hoping to avoid the disease. They wore long,
heavy fabric waxed overcoats, leggings, high
boots, wide brimmed waxed hats, gloves and
a mask with a bird like beak, glass openings
for eyes and straps to tie it to the head.
The beak was filled with aromatic items such as ambergris,
mint, rose petals, lavender and camphor that were believed to
protect the doctor from miasmatic air (thought at the time to be
the cause of the plague.) Sometimes the garments were also
treated with aromatic substances.
This mask was called a Medico della Peste or Plague
Doctors mask. Plague doctors carried a long, wooden cane so
they could examine and move patients without touching them,
remove their clothing and even take the victims pulse.
The two most famous plague doctors were Nostradamus, the
French apothecary and seer and Paracelsus, the German
physician and astrologer.

There was even a 17th century poem about the costume of a

plague doctor.
As may be seen on pictures here,
In Rome the doctors do appear,
When to their patients they are called,
In places by the plague appalled,
Their hats and cloaks, of fashion new,
Are made of oilcloth, dark of hue,
Their caps and glasses are designed,
Their bills with antidotes all lined,
That foulsome air may do no harm,
Nor cause the doctor man alarm,
The staff in hand must serve to show,
19

Their noble trade whereer they go.

The Plague Doctor O. L. Townsend

Thankfully,
for
Carnival goers, with
the demise of the
plague, the plague
doctors and their
beak
like
mask
faded from the stage. And over the
centuries the mask became detached
from this horrible death threat to
become
the most
popular
mask
seen
in
Venice
during the
festivities.

Free

entertainment and public shows

Throughout the Carnival period there is plenty of entertainment
to be had around St. Mark's Square and the adjacent Piazzetta.
A programme of events takes place in the Piazza, open to
everyone. A schedule is displayed on notices around the square.

20

Apart from the organised events, there is a lot of fun to be had

costume-spotting. Costumed characters parade and preen
throughout the day, happily posing for armies of photographers.
Some are in greater demand than others; after half-an-hour's
wandering you'll probably have your own favourites.
To add to the festival atmosphere, there are usually refreshment
stalls in the Piazza selling snacks and drinks like mulled wine,
local Bellini cocktails and the local speciality fritelle.
The grand opening celebration of the Carnival takes place on
the first Sunday, with an event called il volo dell'angelo (the
flight of the angel).
This adaptation of an old tradition involves an 'angel' (often
notable for the randomness of choice: in 2007 this was a female
swimming champion; in 2008 the rapper
Coolio; in 2009 fashion dynasty member
Margherita Missoni, in 2010 an even more
minor socialite) swinging on harnesses
from the bell tower into the Piazzetta San
Marco.
One of the big events is the afternoon
parade of costumes on a catwalk in St.
Mark's Square. If your costume is fabulous
and you're feeling confident, then you can
join in. The festival ends with a big
celebration and fireworks above St.
Mark's.

21

10 Unusual Facts about the Venice

Carnival
1. Rich and poor, illustrious and destitute, shipwrights and
fishermen, Christians, Jews, men and women, everyone who hid
under the disguise could pretend to be someone else and
maybe climb the stairs of the Palazzo Ducale to go and salute
the most serene Doge.

2. The carnival could

not be interrupted
and that meant it had
to carry on at any
cost, so much so that
the death of the Doge
Paolo Renier, which
took place around
February 13th 1789,
was
communicated
only on March 2nd, at
the end of all the
festivities.

22

3. A mask was worn during the Carnival, but also during other
special celebrations. That literally meant masks were worn
throughout the year, and as a result the government had to
intervene several times by revising the law. Here are a few
examples: in 1339 it was forbidden for everyone to wear masks
at night, and at the
beginning of 1600 people
were not allowed to be
masked in convents and
churches.

4.
In the mid 1500s
during a carnival in Saint
Marks square a young
acrobat walked from the bell tower of San Marco on a tightrope
above the cheering crowd down to a boat anchored on the quay
of the Piazzetta. On the descent he reached the balcony of the
Palazzo Ducale and handed gifts to the Doge. This event was a
great success and he was named the Svolo del Turco. It became
a fixed annual event on Shrove Tuesday. For safety reasons
wings were applied to the acrobat who was hanging on the rope
with rings and because of this it was later named Volo
DellAngelo.
5.
The Carnival stopped being celebrated after the fall of the
Republic because it was frowned upon by the Austrians and the
French, but the
tradition was
preserved in the
islands of Murano
and Burano. Only
at the end of the
1970s, at the
behest of some
citizens and civic
associations, the
23

city decided to revive the carnival

which was then officially reopened in 1979.
6.
The typical sweets of the
Carnevale are Frittelle and Galani,
which can be purchased in every
single bakery and patisserie in
town, but only during Carnival
time. Every shop has its own
version of either cakes, so make
sure to go and try as many as you
can and find your favorite!
7.
You can participate in a
luxurious private party. Amazing
parties are organized in beautiful
Venetian palaces where everyone wears wonderful and
sophisticated costumes which can be bought or rented from
some of the ateliers of the city.
8.
Many events
take place
throughout the city,
but the main ones
are located in
Piazza San Marco,
like the Volo
DellAngelo, the Tre
Marie and much
more.
9.
No fancy
dress or mask? If
you arrive in Venice unprepared, dont worry. Immediately
below the stairs of the station (and practically everywhere in
the city) there are guys who paint the faces of passers-by with
colors and glitter at modest prices. Or you can buy masks of all
24

types in a variety of shops with prices from 5 to several hundred

euros.
10. Despite the many visitors and the general chaos, the
Carnival of Venice is definitely an event not to be missed.
Youve got to at least experience once in your life! But those
who intend to spend the night in Venice during the Carnival
period, would do well to book accommodation well before hand.
Hotels in Venice quickly filled, making it even more difficult to
find a cheap accommodation that is not on the islands or in the
surrounding area.

25

In conclusion, however much the modern

Carnival may be contrived for tourists, it's
undeniably atmospheric to walk down a lane in
Venice and pass cloaked and masked figures. The
tourist board and hotels urge their guests to
participate by wearing at least a mask as they
tour the town.

I believe it can be an exciting time for children,

as long as the dehumanising masks don't scare
them, and there are plenty of opportunities for
fun. Young and old can admire the spectacle and
select their favourite costumed characters, and
there are plenty of opportunities to photograph
your loved ones alongside dramatically-costumed
carnival-goers.

So, if you've always had a secret hankering to

wear fancy dress, then the Carnival is a perfect
opportunity to indulge without attracting stares.
Masks, cloaks and wigs are easily purchased at
countless tourist shops and souvenir stalls. If
you're looking for something more elaborate or
authentic, visit one of Venice's papier-mch

26

workshops
handmade.

where

good-quality

masks

are

Bibliography : References

Stefania Bertelli, Il Carnevale di Venezia nel Settecento,

Roma, Jouvence, 1992.
James H. Johnson, Venice incognito: masks in the Serene
Republic, Berleley, University of California Press, 2011; Gilles
Bertrand, Histoire du carnaval de Venise, XIe-XXIe sicle, Paris,
Pygmalion, p. 95-235.
Gilles Bertrand, Histoire du carnaval de Venise, XIe-XXIe
sicle, Paris, Pygmalion, 2013, p. 237-310.
Alessandro Bressanello, Il carnevale in et moderna: 30 anni
di carnevale a Venezia 1980-2010, Venezia, Studio LT2, 2010;
Fulvio Roiter, Carnaval de Venise, Lausanne, Payot, 1981.
Johnson, James H. (2011). Venice incognito: masks in the
serene republic. p. 54.

27

28