Activites
1) Festa Veneziana — Sunday February 17th from 10.30am
On Sunday the 17th of February, the Venice Carnival officially begins. And it starts with a flourish as dozens upon dozens of boats, elaborately decorated, sailing along the Grand Canal, towards the Cannaregio district. Masked Venetians, dressed in stunning costumes man the boats and they also parade through the streets of Venice. This is the biggest spectacle of the carnival and it’s a must see for anyone who wants the authentic carnival experience. Expect a staggering array of decorated boats, costumed revellers, and incredible live music.
2) Festa delle Marie Parade — Starts Saturday February 23rd
Think of the Festa delle Marie Parade as a historically accurate re-enactment of a traditional Venetian beauty contest that dates as far back as the 9th century. The Festa delle Marie traditionally took place on the 2nd of February; 12 of the most beautiful women from poor families in Venice were chosen to take part in the event. They were dressed in decadent clothes and jewellery and the contest was designed to help one of them win a considerable dowry from the Doge. One year, during the event, pirates invaded Venice and kidnapped the bejewelled maidens; the people of Venice worked together and managed to retrieve the women (and the jewels) and they credited the Madonna (Marie) for helping them. The Festa delle Marie was thus cemented in Venetian culture.
While the idea of dowries and marriage has changed significantly since the 9th century, it’s still nice to get dressed up and enjoy the pageantry, so the modern-day Festa delle Marie is a fun-filled beauty pageant where an honoured guest (instead of the Doge) chooses the winner. If you like beautiful dresses and historical re-enactments, then we can absolutely recommend the Festa delle Marie parade. The first one is on Saturday the 23rd of February, but there are several other parades over the following days. If you can only attend one, we recommend the first parade!
4) The Best Mask Contest — Thursday the 24th of February
The Best Mask Contest is a lot of fun. It’s essentially a huge competition to find the person with the best Venetian mask. Some people take this very seriously and they make some of the most incredible masks you’ve ever seen. It’s free to take part in the contest, but you have to submit an application ahead of time, so don’t leave it too late. The contest takes part from 3.30pm to 5.00pm every day, with the first contest taking place on the 24th of February and several other contests taking place until the grand finale on Sunday the 3rd of March. This is the perfect option if you want to admire the best possible Venetian masks and enjoy the cheerful atmosphere. If you want to learn even more about masks, check out our guide to Venetian masks.
