The Carnival of Venice becomes officially a public festival in 1926 thanks to an edict of the Serenissima Republic. Let’s find out about the costumes and the habits of the ancient Carnival!

In the ancient Carnival was a ritual of collective costume in the pursuit of the freedom from our own identity and the everyday life, including habits, prejudices and slanders towards others and us. During the Carnival, the city of Venice became a big masked stage.

The habit of the costume came from nothing and it established the gradual and fast development of the masks industry. In 1436 the job of mascareri, artisans of luxurious and sophisticated masks, was officially recognised by the State of Venice. Among the most famous ancient masks, the Bautà, the Gnana and the Moretta.

During the ancient Carnival the everyday life stopped in favour of the celebration: the Venetians got together in Piazza San Marco, along Riva degli schiavoni and in other places of the city in order to attend shows and attractions of all kinds. Festa delle Marie and The Angel Flight were the most awaited events.

The ancient Carnival wasn’t all peaches and cream: it was an opportunity to hide behind the masks and commit crimes like theft, mugging and harassment. The public security was often threatened, so the authorities had to introduce prohibitions and penalties. Nowadays the security levels are higher and people just see the Carnival as an opportunity to have fun!

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