Events and Festivals in Italy
Whether it’s a local party or a massive national festival, nothing’s more frustrating than missing out on major events on your travels. To make sure you’re at the most exciting events in Italy check out the HostelBookers roundup of what’s happening when. We’ve got the lot covered!
Traditional Venice Carnival Attire
Discover the Venice Carnival and find hostels in Venice - Italy
When: 05 February 2010 - 16 February 2010
Behind Venice’s delicate beauty lies a history of debauchery and depravity and nowhere is this seedy past more evident than in its annual Carnival.
Extravagant to the point of decadence, it takes place in the build-up to Lent over the two weeks before Shrove Tuesday. And everywhere you look, Venice’s iconic image of the mask leers out at you!
It’s partly because of the mask that the Carnival has such a disreputable history. Dating back to the 13th Century, it has been frequently banned due to the air of subversion and deception (not to mention outright hedonism) attached to the wearing of the masks.
Today, though, the Carnival actively embraces the symbol and features an array of masquerade balls that fully recapture the allure of the past. The whole thing can be like stepping into a costume drama – just being part of the pomp is quite an experience.
But Venice Carnival is about much more than masks and costumes: the city explodes into all manner of cultural activity from the street performers that fill St. Mark's Square to the theaters and halls that overflow with a dizzying range of performances.
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More information on other Carnivals and Mardi Gra Celebrations