Serenissima Republica: Home to the Carnival of Venice

This January, the people of Venice take to the streets for their annual celebration of the city’s culture, donning colorful costumes and their iconic Venetian masks.

The exact origins of the festival are unknown, but it is said it began with the Republic of Venice’s victory against the Patriarchate of Aquileia, with people celebrating by dancing in San Marco Square. This became an official event in 1296 with an edict from the Venetian Senate making the day before Lent a holiday. The Carnival grew in popularity, peaking in the 18^th century but eventually outlawed by the ruling King of Austria in 1797, even forbidding the use of masks. It was during this time the festival was relegated to private gatherings, often as an occasion to showcase one’s artistic creations.

It wasn’t until two centuries later the Italian government reinstated the Carnival of Venice, along with the resurgence of mask making. Since then it has grown in scope, attracting more than 3 million visitors a year, as well as some of the top costume and fashion designers of the world who come to judge La Maschera Piú Bella, the Most Beautiful Mask, contest.

These masks have always been a central part of the Carnival, but the tradition’s origin is unknown. Some believe it was a reaction against the class structure of Italy, which was particularly rigid compared to the rest of aristocratic Europe. By donning masks, the people of Venice could anonymously mingle together ignoring societal divisions like class and gender.