What you need to know about carnivals in Venice
What is carnival, I think, do not need to explain. And pro Venice Carnival anyone heard. One of the most famous and revered carnivals of the world has been attracting attention to himself for several centuries and collects tens of thousands of people for his festive events every year.
If you have heard about this world event with the edge of the ear or know something, but have not yet decided, go there or not, then after reading this material, I think to make a decision You will be easier .
What is a carnival in Venice
Carnival traffic In today’s world, leads his way from deep antiquity. The etymology of the word itself is not entirely clear, there are different versions, but the main one is:
The word "carnival" comes from the Italian words "Carne" and "Vale", literally "meat" and "Valya"
Carnival festivals in medieval Italy, and a little later throughout Europe, were held every two or three weeks before the onset of the Great Post, when the meat is prohibited (in fact, the carnival is the European analogue of Slavic Ocalente).
The holiday roots go to the ancient Rome: remember "Bread and Spectacle", &# 8212; So the rulers of ancient Venice, one can say, revived the Roman Saturnia to their manner, giving the opportunity to all the segments of the population to unite in universal walking and wild dance before the universal spiritual and physical cleansing before Easter.
First documentary reference About Venetian carnival refers by 1094 , After 1162, when the victory over the Patriarch Aquileia rose into the massive folk walk, the carnival became an annual. A C XIII-XIV BB . Acquired those forms and traditions that are known now and which are trying to hold the organizers of the Venetian carnival, it is the costume walking and celebration, where the entrance is prohibited without mask.
For centuries, crowds of people from all over Italy and Europe went to the carnival in the informous republic. Sometimes carnavals began to be much earlier than those deadlines that were initially assigned to the holiday before the beginning of the Great Post: Since December, and from October, the city has already thrown people in masks on the faces, the most unimaginable cases were worn under the cover of masks, and sometimes Crime. It came to the point that the Council of the Ten led by &# 8212; The ruler of the city &# 8212; Even forbidden to carry masks into unknown days, threatened with huge fines, prison and many years of expulsion, and women are also a public praise on the square.
In almost a millennial history of the Venetian carnival there was a period of clutch and even oblivion when In 1797, Napoleon banned Carnival in Venice with his decree , In the XIX century, he was tried to revive, but rather timidly, locally and private order.
Only Since 1979, thanks to the idea of the great Federico Fellini, the Venetian carnival was revived As a huge commercial project, which annually collects on the streets, Square and to the Palaisms of Venice, dozens of thousands of people from around the world have fun on a wide leg, "break away in full" so that, pretty while spending and not spare about it, then remember this trip all your life.
When, how and for how much
Now we will approach, perhaps the most important and complex topic of the story: timing and amounts.
As I already said, TERMS OF VENETSIAN CARNAVAL Installed in accordance with With the beginning of the Great Post .
All information about carnival, timing, program of events, about ordering and buying tickets is worth looking for the Carnival website: Carnevale.Venezia.IT
According to the preliminary data of the Carnival of the next, 2018, the year will be held from January 27 to February 13.
Because of the summer, you can find and book housing.
The closer to the opening date of the carnival, the hard to find a place where you can stay. Carnival in Venice Very popular wishing to visit it a lot, so do not lose time in search of housing (see sites: Booking.Com, Hotellook.RU, AIRBNB), pick up the program (see the Carnival site).
We plan a trip
Deciding the problem of housing and road, accurately decide on the entertainment program . Venice Carnival – The case is quite cost . In addition to the area activities available for walking, the carnival program fill various costumed balls For the elite public: buy a ticket there on the carnival website, but Prices for balls grow starting from 150-200 euros , reaching up to 2800 euros (this is the price for the VIP ticket).
Naturally, not everywhere entrance tickets are so expensive . The most expensive ball was and remains Dog Ball , which takes place in the Pisani-Mortet Pisa Pisa, but Masquerade Ball In the same palace, the day later is waiting for guests for a more moderate fee: from 590 euros for a simple ticket up to 850 euros per VIP-place . Balls and Masquerades pass to the Palazzo Contarini della Porti Di Ferro, Hotels "Carlton", Metropol, Monaco, Palazzo Dandolo, Palazzo Zen.
Program and information about the cost of tickets, as well as, which includes this cost, you can find out on the Carnival website. All information on the site Lined in two languages: Italian and English. Carnival Balls Program will report this site: VENICE-CARNIVAL-ITALY.Com , &# 8212; where you can also choose my ball, and take a ticket for it.
Suit and mask
Another one The most important cost line : mask and suit.
On balls in the Venetian Palazzo, the entrance without a costume and mask is prohibited categorically.
Therefore, before the trip you You can build a suit yourself and take it with you, you can order a suit at the Master (but be sure to specify the topic of the carnival, the costume must match the topic), and you can rent it directly at arrival in Venice.
For example , In famous Atelier "Flavia" , For fee B 400-600 euro per day You will pick up a shared suit and accessories for it.
There are several shops , Where you can buy high-quality costumes: "Benor Maschere Venezia" , "Ca ‘Macana" , "CA ‘DEL SOL MASCHERE" .
However, shops and shops, where they sell masks and at least just a lot of raincoats in Venice, and in front of the carnival, there is a feeling, the number of them increases.
As for the youth carnival parties, then with the dress code everything is going much easier, since the principle is "than no fierce, the more fun": masks and accessories you can safely buy in any supermarket. It’s cheaper and funnier.
How to find supermarkets, I wrote in the article Where to eat in Venice .
Masks
About Venetian masks I advise you to read special literature, everything is not so simple and definitely. To start Take a look here&# 8230; Buy a mask in Venice there is no problem, there are there in bulk there. Prices vary from 5 to 250 euros.
Do not rush at once on any mask, look around, try. It can be perfectly done and cost mad money, but absolutely not to approach you in size or shape. Sometimes the simplest cheap mask from the souvenir shop turns out to be original and advantageous than the expensive corporate product.
What when and where

Every year in two or three weeks before the Great Post ( Date "Floating" , Learn the duration of the carnival is most reliable on its website) The city is immersed in the ancient atmosphere of an unrestrained national holiday, where under the masks of the Dellärta, the passions are drilled, the ancient traditions are reborn, the ancient stories are reborn, where no one knows who you are, from where and why It is important that you are just here and now, and with everyone together are ready to rush into this outer joy and happiness, beauty and secrets.
Yearly Carnival has a definite topic , And most of the events of this topic correspond to and reflects it. For example, two years ago, the opening of the carnival coincided with Valentine’s Day, hence the topic was taken, this year the carnival took over the topic "Vanity Fair – vanity in all forms".
The structure of the holiday is made up of centuries of worked events and events:
- Water parade on cannalego canal and Grande Channel – Grand Water and Light Show, when the cavalcade of boats, boats and gondola in the light of the searchlights and projectors move along wide channels, and artists, dancers, gymnasts in these boats are creating miracles in these boats;
- Holiday Mari – Procession from the church of San Pietro di Castello on the Central Embankment to Piazza San Marco in advance of the selected beauties girls, symbolizing the liberation of virgin venetians from the captivity of the Pirates of Istria;
- Flight angel – Descent with San Marco Campanil on Piazza San Marco Girls, which is scattered over the crowds of the audience confetti during the flight;
- Osla parodiya flight and eagle flight – These events are held in the mainland Venice, Mestre;
- Competition for the most original mask carnival;
- Various Thematic Balls in the old Palaces of Venice.
Carnival program
At Piazza San Marco build Wooden street theater , On the stage of which on the opening day of the carnival represent the newly saved from the Pirates of Mari and where, after the descent from the bell tower, the same angel rises, she Colombin Carnival , And it welcomes it.
There are no music in Venice since the fall of the light republic, and once it was her ruler, elected by the most difficult election procedures for life; Clearly, that on the carnival the figure of a diaphragus symbolic, it depicts the actor.
During the entire carnival, the scene provides a variety of theaters, musicians and famous performers. On Campo San Polo arrange traditional rink . Different processions are held through the streets and squares of the city: from the ensembles of drummers and trumpeters, groups of acrobats to dancing or just going with cries and jokes crowd dressed in suits of the most unthinkable colors and forms of people.
The extensive program is offered Venetian and visiting theaters , Exhibition halls. In a variety of corners of the city, both on the islands and in the mainland, you can find entertainment on your taste and wallet.
Venice Square All these days are twisted with young people in masks that have fun playing, dancing, songs. Cafes and restaurants are open and full of visitors, during mass events for guests are ready to treat on the streets that sell and serve with open trays, in a variety of expected ones of expensive.
Describe the entire program here is no sense, it is always different and diverse. Come on the site of the Venetian carnival in the section developments , where you and with the program will read, and the event for yourself will pick up, and you can buy a ticket.
How to behave on the carnival
Venice Carnival – Event, I will not say "crowded", I will say: very "crowd". Creates a feeling that the city, especially in the center, becomes rubber. And even attend the thoughts that the gradual immersion of Venice in the water of the Adriatic is connected with a huge number of people on her streets and embankments. Actually, everything is not so scary .
It is important to know my program to be pretty pretty in advance before the start of the event, try to bypass the trails who are launched by tourists to be the most natural and friendly.
As for security, then in any season, at any time of the day and night Venice was and remains a very safe city . The authorities and citizens are not at all on the hand of the incident and crime. In order, reinforced police and carabine troops are followed. Of course, Nobody insured in the crowd from theft , But so believe in any Italian city, so the bags are worn over the shoulder, the hands are kept in pockets, they only take with them the necessary. Well, and your own attention should be at the height.
What and where to eat
There are no problems with food during the carnival at all: restaurants, cafes and bars work in reinforced mode, offering guests pretty Large selection of dishes . Many trays with Venetian sweets and pastries you will find on the streets of the city. In general, on food issues, I wrote in detail in the article Where and what to eat in Venice , Only prices can be changed in the direction of some increase, but not everywhere and not always. You need to deal with this. I will only add that on the days of the carnival It is customary to treat Frittoll , Venetian ponchikov, and Galani , very similar to our twig.
In a word, if you are ready to spend an invalu amount for the ability to be in an amazing place, where the era and characters are mixed, where the unrestrained fun is waiting for you at every angle, where the impressions are not going on for one day of the stories, then solve, and forward – on Venice Carnival ! Successful travel.
