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The Coronavirus might have hit the city of bridges and canals, but it didn鈥檛 hit its spirit. Carnival 2021 is a go, even in this pandemic uncertainty. It might come as a surprise, but Venice isn鈥檛 giving up on its colorful celebrations.

It鈥檚 just doing it differently.

Venetian Carnival & Covid-19

The dates to mark on the calendar are two: from February 6 to 7, and from February 11 to 16th. There won鈥檛 be any audience on the streets because the audience will be online. From the comfort of home, anyone can stream the event and join in the fun.

As the official reports, people will be able to watch shows, listen to short stories, and participate in Virtual Rooms. There are three types of rooms, divided by age groups. While kids can enjoy 听workshops, the parents can watch the competitions and interviews with the protagonists. People must register to join the Virtual Rooms.

On the other hand, the live streaming doesn鈥檛 require any registration. It鈥檚 still Venice, only this year, travelers won鈥檛 need to catch a flight. A comfortable couch, a colorful mask, and time are enough.

But how did the Carnival look before Covid-19?

The art and history of Venetian mask making tradition

We are in听the midst of Carnevale celebrations and we can’t help thinking- or for the luckier ones,听experiencing听 in reality听– about听how听beautiful and artistic some of the masks worn around are and there aren’t any more beautiful than those produced by the Venetian masks tradition.听

Mind, I鈥檓 actually talking about the physical听masks you place on your face, rather than听the characters we associate听to Commedia dell鈥橝rte听and that became, throughout听the centuries, symbols of human听quirks and geographical locations. Well, if you鈥檙e interested in Arlecchino and co., you can check out our听article Italian traditional masks for Carnival听to get to know them better.

Here, we鈥檒l concentrate听on the beautiful papier听mach茅 creations听typical of the Venetian masks tradition that, for centuries, have been surrounded by an aura of mystery and awe.听There鈥檚 a lot to know about them and how they鈥檙e made, and it should come as no听surprise 鈥� considering Italy, the land of tradition and heritage love, is听home to them 鈥� to learn the听techniques used today are very much still the same as those en vogue听many centuries ago.

Venice, of course, is were the game is at: the most baroque and luscious of all听Carnevali听is where masks give the best of themselves. At the听very beginning 鈥渕aschera鈥� meant, quite simply, to put on fake moustaches and beard, and was very often used to refer to women听dressing like men and men dressing like women: being “in maschera鈥� was, in the end, the Venetian way to say听鈥渂eing in drag鈥�. And, indeed, as it was about 20 to 30 years ago for drag, the听people of medieval and renaissance Venice would consider the act of dressing up听and wearing听鈥渕aschere鈥� a symbol of freedom and transgression: funny to see how history repeats itself, sometimes.

Let鈥檚 travel to Venice then,听where many, many centuries ago, it all began. And believe me,听there is more than Carnevale celebrations behind the love story听between La Serenissima and her听鈥渕aschere鈥濃��

Venetian Masks tradition, or “maschere” and Venice

It would be difficult to fully听grasp the obsession of Venice with masks听without talking听history for a bit.听Step back into the 13th century and you鈥檒l find the听first official reference to听鈥渕aschere鈥� in a Venetian context: the city government had to promulgate a law听limiting the听improper public听use of masks in 1268,听because of听the worrying amount of mask-wearing men,听鈥渋 mattaccini,鈥澨齭trolling听around听the听鈥渃alli鈥�. Mattaccini were keen on听the game听of听鈥渙va鈥� (eggs) which听consisted in throwing eggs filled with rose water to the unlucky听women passing by.

In the 14th century, Venice had already began earning the reputation of fun capital of Europe, and Venetians became听famous for their penchant for a life of excesses.听Early Libertines (libertinage is usually considered more of a 17th and 18th century phenomenon)听made large use of masks to keep their identity secret in public, but especially to rise that aura of oh-so-cool mystery that made them all the more attractive. In order听to limit the听moral degradation of La Serenissima, leaders decided to forbid the use of masks, apart for the period of Carnevale.

Prostitutes and men frequenting them were not allowed to wear masks听either, as it was thought – or hoped – that lack of听anonymity would have refrained people from practicing or exploiting prostitution.

Similar laws were issued in the 17th and 18th centuries, always with the aim of听limiting听the public use of听masks听outside of the weeks of Carnevale, and protect Venice鈥檚 own morals and respectability. In fact, it鈥檚 for this very same reason that, in 1776, a law imposing the use of听masks to听women听going to theatre was created. Now, if only the Doge and his crew made up their mind…

The more the听ruling 茅lite of La听Serenissima frowned upon听mask wearing, the more Venetians became obsessed with them.

If Carnevale was the听only moment of听the year they听could step out on their gondolas wearing a听鈥渕aschera,鈥� than it鈥檇 better be the听鈥渕aschera鈥� of a lifetime:听demands for Carnevale masks, more and more precious, more and more听extravagant, grew exponentially throughout听the decades, generating a new听artistic听figure in the city, that of the听鈥渕ascheraio,鈥� Venice鈥檚 own mask maker.

In 1773, at the height of Baroque and of Giacomo Casanova鈥檚 popularity among听rich and beautiful Venetian coquettes – and nuns, apparently – there were 12 officially recorded mask making ateliers in the city: not a large number considering the demand. Historians appear to agree it鈥檚 very likely many more听ateliers operated on the听black market, milking as much as possible the gold pleated pockets of rich Venetian lords and damsels, but听also giving stable听employment听to a large number of people.

Alas, these memorable times of opulence, wealth and joie de vivre were to come to an end when the Hapsburg听conquered the Republic of Venice, making it part of their empire. They almost immediately forbade the public use of masks, even during Carnevale, thus limiting their presence to private receptions. This is why Venice’s听Austrian years 听are considered a pretty gloomy period for the lovers of disguise.

Venetian masks tradition 听and its secrets, once upon a time and today.

As it often听happens when it comes to arts and听crafts, each atelier was known for a certain way of decorating or shaping masks, but the basic听technique for their making was the same for all.听Yesterday and today, the听heart of mask making in Venice is听papier mach茅 or听鈥渃artapesta,鈥� a material symbol not only of听Carnevale art, but also of Presepe and religious artistic expression.