Carnivale means "farewell to meat" and begins the period of abstinence during Lent.
The tradition of Carnivale began sometime after 1162 when masked revelers celebrated with music , food and dance. Masks made the Venetian Carnival unique. Worn so that the wearer of the mask could not be identified, the person's social status could not be known. In this way, Venice temporarily overturned her social order. Some of the masks depicted Commedia dell'Arte characters while others were more sinister. Masks are a big cottage industry in Venice and are sold throughout the year.
Carnivale di Venezia
Friday, January 25, 2008 - Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Venetian Mask Maker:
Mondonovo Maschere
Rio Terrà Canal, 3063
Campo Santa Margherita
Dorsoduro
30123 Venice (VE)
Veneto
Italy
tel: +39-041-5287344
fax: +39-041-5212633
Proprietor: Guerrino Lovato is Venice’s mascheraio (maskmaker) par excellence.
Stanley Kubrick asked Guerrino to produce the masks for his film, “Eyes Wide Shut” as did Franco
Zefferelli for "La Traviata".
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