The Carnival of Venice is
an annual festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival ends with the Christian celebration of Lent, forty
days before Easter on Shrove Tuesday , the day before Ash Wednesday. The festival is world-famed for its elaborate masks.
After a long absence, the Carnival
returned to operate in 1979. The
Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice, and
sought to use the traditional Carnival as the centerpiece of its efforts. The
redevelopment of the masks began as the pursuit of some Venetian college
students for the tourist trade. Today, approximately 3 million visitors come to
Venice every year for the Carnival. One of the most important events is the
contest for la maschera più bella ("the most beautiful mask")
placed at the last weekend of the Carnival and judged by a panel of
international costume and fashion designersCarnivals Masks
Masks have
always been an important feature of the Venetian carnival. Traditionally people
were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano and
the start of the carnival season at midnight of Shrove
Tuesday. As masks were also allowed on Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas,
people could spend a large portion of the year in disguise. Maskmakers enjoyed
a special position in society, with their own laws and their own guild.
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