Dont Miss Venice Carnevale!

Dont Miss Venice Carnevale!

The world famous annual Carnevale gets underway in Venice from 11 February for ten days of decadent festivities.

Being a pre lent festival, it always takes place during the ten days leading up to Shrove Tuesday.  In fact the word ‘Carnival’ means ‘farewell to meat’.

First held in Venice in the 11th century, it originally consisted of two months of revelry until the Venetians could obviously take no more. It was revived round the 18th century with great gusto for this was an era of  passion and pleasure with rich young nobles dashing around Europe attending ‘events of the season’. It was also the time of Casanova, the ultimate decadent pleasure seeker!

The Carnevale is a brilliant excuse to lurk around the lagoons donning mask and extravagant costume, whatever your social status. Courtesans mingled with plague doctors, harlequins and Commedie del’Arte players.  Wonderful balls took place in St Mark’s Square, proof of which can still be seen on the fresco on the walls of the famous café Quadri’s.  Every night, fortunes were squandered in the Ridotto Gambling Casino.

Today, the Carnevale is still as extravagant with parades and live music around the main squares of Venice. Lagoon City becomes alive with magnificent costumes and masks, hats and the special frittelle, a type of doughnut, only made over the Carnivale!

Casanova Kicks!

Be passionate, be seductive, be Casanova and book a Valentine’s surprise.  The ultimate Valentine gift can still be arranged by contacting one of our tour ops for help in planning your romantic weekend break to the CARNIVALE!  All you have to do is hire your spectacular costume and mask. Oh, and dont forget your passports.  Show me a list of UK tour operators to help

 

Posted by on Jan 16, 2012