 It
must but noticed that the tradition of Venetian masks
was not only limited to the Carnival, but men and women
used to mask themselves frequently: masks were used, for
example, to protect the gamblers from the indiscreet
looks (especially from the ones of their creditors),
were used by noblemen Barnabotti (poor
patricians) in order to beg at the road corners or were
used by women, for secret encounters with their lovers.
To understand how libertine was the Venetia of the
Serenissima, it’s sufficient to read one of the
numerous documents regarding masquerades, promulgated to
keep the morality of the citizens:
a decree of 22nd February 1339 forbade the Venetians to
go masked round the town by night; another decree of
24th January 1458 forbade the men to get into convents,
masked as women, in order to do “multas inhonestates” (Author’s note: even if do not understand
Latin, you can imagine of what we’re speaking about).
The men who transgressed to these rules had to make 2
years in jail, had to serve for 18 months the Republic
in galley-rowing (with ankles fettered) and not only
that, a 500 lire fine to the Consiglio dei Dieci
(Council of the 10). For
women it went worse, the prostitutes, that were found
masked,
were whipped from St Mark's all the way to Rialto bridge, were
held to public ridicule in St Mark's square, were banned
from entering the territory of the Venetian Republic for
4 years and, as it was not enough, had to pay a 500 lire
fine to the Consiglio dei Dieci.
The freakish history of the Carnival suffered in the
years ups and downs, until being even forbidden during
the first Austrian Government.
Today obviously things are changed, if someone masks
himself by woman and goes into a convent, probably the
nuns would call the police (or perhaps not, I have never
tried, if someone does it, let me know).
Although countless carnivals exist around the globe, the
Carnival of Venice is unique in its kind, nowhere it is
possible to breath the same style and the noble
climate, the masks that circulate round the town are
the same ones that were used centuries ago.
It does not exist a rule for the dress, but nobody would
imagine to go to Venice dressed as Spiderman. Even if in
your closet you haven’t the ancient costume of your Venetian
forefathers, to get hold a dress proper to the event is
very easy, the tradition of the Mascareri (mask
craftsmen) is strong still today, think that in Venice
there are more than 400 stores that sell or rent
costumes all the year. The Venetian disguise par
excellence is the bauta, worn by men and women:
it consists of a black cloak and a tricorn hat, plus a
white mask completely concealing the wearer’s face (the
ones used in the Stanley Kubrick's movie Eyes Wild Shut).
I asked Mrs. Valentina, owner of a beautiful store of
masks in the quarter of Dorsoduro (than exports
in Sidney through a distributor named “A Touch of
Venice”), how much could cost to rent a complete
costume: “The rent of a costume starts from 300 euro,
while the mask for hygienic reasons cannot be rented but
has to be bought: we speak in this case of a cost around
40 euro”.
If these figures scare to you, they are nothing to the
comparison of how much can cost one masked society evening: you could decide to take a gondola
(150 euro) to go to the theatre (not less than 250
euro), or to be guest in some exclusive Venetian palace in order
to participate to a masked ball (let’s say 350 euro).
The climate that can you experience in these particular
parties (there are a lot of them) is extraordinary, you
are immediately transported back in the past and for a
night anyone will be able to identify herself in a
Venetian noblewoman or a second Casanova. Among all I
want to cite the famous Ballo del Doge, one of
the most famous and exclusive masked gala of the world,
it is considered from the international press the
maximum expression of the Venetian Baroque; in
collaboration with directors, scenographers, artists and
famed chefs, the dinner and accurate spectacle are an
experience that everybody should try at least once in
his life. Under the historical costume (obligatory) of
the guests, it is very easy that famous personages and
crowned heads hide themselves, but obviously you will
never come to know it.
The visitor that comes to the Carnival of Venice for the
first time and consults the program of the event, could
find herself confused from the multitude of shows, gala
evenings and masked balls. Since nobody of us has the
gift of the ubiquity, soon it becomes clear that it
won’t be possible to see all. No panic, neither it is
obligatory to participate to these expensive exclusive
parties, nor to put on a fancy-dress, you can however be
amused walking on the roads observing the wonderful
masks that parade, stopping from time to time in some
campo (square) in order to assist to the numerous
free plays that bring to the scene the Commedia
dell’Arte or concerts of classical music. When you
want to rest, what’s better than to allow yourself a
famous Florian coffee in the homonymous ancient place in
St Mark's
square and to enjoy, sitting at the table, the parade
of the most beautiful costumes and the exhibitions that
are put on the enormous prepared theatre stage.
One of the things that you cannot miss is “The Flight of
the Angel” or, like it was called in the past, “The
Flight of the Turk”. It seems that in
the mid-1500 a young Turkish acrobat
was protagonist of an enterprise that astounded the
citizenship, he walked on a rope, with the help
of a balancing rod, from a boat all the way up to the
campanile of Saint Mark.
It became a tradition and every year it marks the
beginning of the carnival. But I have to inform you that
it is not always the same, sometimes professional
acrobats execute incredible things (in the 1680 Sante da
Ca' Lezze succeeded to climb riding a horse), other
times the show is limited to the descent of one big
wooden dove. During the last few years it has become a
custom to lower from the bell tower a sportstart or a
show star, that throws confetti over the heads of the
spectators. It’s anyhow a very
suggestive
show.
I conclude giving you the last advise: it is very easy
during these dances, in the great game of transgression
and seduction, to yield yourself to the glamour of some
masked beauty, charmed by the blue eyes that you glimpse
behind the mask; but remember the tale of the nuns,
under to those blue eyes, a beautiful pair of moustaches
could hide. |
