Behind the Mask

Infinite stories, myths and legends, we could find about the Carnival of Venezia. In this post, I want to talk about the mask and the Carnival. For wealthy Venetians they provided an escape from everyday formality and entry into a world of mystery, deceit, and sexual freedom. 

Venice was in its time like Manhattan and…

In the theatrical work of William Shakespeare "The Merchant of Venice" the only toponym explicitly cited is Rialto: in the 16th century that name sounded similar to today's Manhattan or Wall Street, being the economic heart of one of the capitals of finance and world trade. Venice was a marine republic.

The Serenissima Republic of Venice was a city-state located in northern Italy, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, and then gathered under its control all the Venetians of the Triveneto, Istria and Dalmatia (today coastal area of Croatia). Its capital was the city of Venice. It existed as an independent State from the 9th century until 1797.

But there is another interesting face. In ancient times, may be from 1296, Venice was the city of entertainment and libertinism. If we compare to today, Venice was better than Las Vegas. 

It seems that the Venetian custom of masking the face goes back to the era of the conquest of the East. In fact, as we know, Eastern women were not allowed to leave the house with their exposed faces and the Venetians adopted this costume. So since time immemorial, Venice has always had the logic of the mask.

The mask is the domain of the multiple, of the anonymous, the confused; to identity it opposes ambiguity and chaos. As well as representing concealment and identification with or transformation into another being, mask can symbolize emotions or aspects of character. 

The mask was very often used not to be recognized. Venice is small city, everyone knows each other and is interested in the facts of others. Bringing the mask could move more freely; in this way it was possible to escape the law, which in Venice was particularly severe. The mask made everyone equal: rich and poor, old and young, the heads of state and the poorest subjects, the Senators, the foreigners, whatever the city.

And all mixed together, they took part in a thousand entertainments, street shows, big parties, and general happiness. Races between the district collide in real battles, with reeds and sticks and punching. Forces of Hercules, exercises of strength, balance and courage. Human pyramids, sometimes built on water.

Time line of Carnival

In the eighteenth century Venice became "the city of Carnival", in this it had a European role. From all over Europe we looked at this great party as a unique example of genre, an original and extraordinary show. Piazza San Marco became the most beautiful salon in the world.

 In this time at Venice, desires became reality, there was no thought or act that was not possible. It was a century of the heritage of fantasy in this city. Venice was the world of Casanova, a superficial and decorative world. It was the world of artists such as Boucher and Fragonard, Rosalba Carriera and Giambattista Tiepolo

Once it began the first Sunday of October, intensified the day after the Epiphany (on January 6) and reached its peak in the days before Lent. The Venetian Carnival was different from the others, it lasted several months, and in this period the Venetians, leaving aside their usual occupations, thought only of having fun. At the sound of the bell of the Vespers on the day of the Epiphany, a public Ministry disguised in a grotesque manner appeared in Piazza San Marco. That was the signal that the masks could go out on the street.

Venice becomes famous for the disguises and masks that used to be used, in addition to Carnival, even on the occasion of great religious solemnities or during political elections.

In the nineteenth century, on the other hand, Venice and its carnival embody the international romantic myth and the city becomes the goal of artists, writers, musicians, adventurers and beautiful ladies like Sissi from Austria.

From 1797 for the occupation of Napoleon and then the Austrian, the festivities for the carnival were interrupted by fear of popular disorders.

The Carnival of Venice returns at the end of the 70s of the 20th century thanks to the work of citizens and some civic associations.

The Carnival in our days is a magnificent celebration, with theatrical events, with national and international media coverage and thousands of masks at parties and romantic encounters.

Photos made with iPhone6 and Cannon14X

Ref.

Paolo Barozzi (2009). Venezia – Luogo della Mente. Campanotto Editore, 135p.

http://carnevalevenezia.com/storia_carnevale_venezia.htm