The special thing about the Venice Carnival are the colorful masks that allow you to hide your personality and slip into a new role. The fanciful costumes are works of art and can be bought in Venice at these very prices. The Venice Carnival has a centuries-old tradition; even Casanova loved the colorful hustle and bustle, where he could indulge his desires without being recognized. A little of the colorful magic remains today, when Venice and its guests are transformed for a few foolish days.
Latest news
The Venice City Council has confirmed that the 2022 Venice Carnival will take place, although the major public events in St. Mark’s Square may be cancelled if the incidence of Covid19 is high, such as the Angel Flight or the awards ceremonies for the best costumes.
The 2022 Venice Carnival officially begins on February 12, 2022 and ends on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
On this page you can find the full program with many interesting dates and events.
I recommend you to book in advance, because many of the events are already sold out!
At a glance: Tips for your visit
- Many of the official events take place in St. Mark’s Square or in the Arsenal, the historic shipyard.
- At the end of the carnival, a zombie walk might be planned again as an alternative to the classic 2022 Venice Carnival.
- St. Mark’s Square is the perfect place to take photos of the thousands of carnival participants in costume.
2022 Venice Carnival – All Dates
The official 2022 Venice Carnival lasts 10 days and begins on Sunday, February 20, at 11 a.m. with the “Angel Flight” over St. Mark’s Square. Meanwhile, live music usually sounds and confetti rains from above, while colorful balloons rise into the sky. From the St. Mark’s Tower, the “Angel” floats down to the Doge’s Palace.
The most important dates from 12.02. to 01.03.2022 – I will enter any changes promptly:
Saturday 12 February 2022: Festa Veneziana sull’acqua – Day 1
Sunday 13 February 2022: Festa Veneziana sull’acqua – 2nd day
Saturday, February 19, 2022: La Festa delle Marie – The Marian Feast
At 14:30 the procession of the Festa delle Marie in Venice begins in Via Garibaldi. At 3 pm it reaches St. Mark’s Square, where at 4 pm the twelve most beautiful girls will be chosen in the Gran Teatro di San Marco theater.
Sunday, February 20, 2022: Il Volo dell’Angelo – The Angel’s Flight
It begins at 11:00 am in St. Mark’s Square. At 12 noon the Carnival week in Venice will be officially opened.
Sunday, February 27, 2022: Il Volo del’Aquila (12 noon) and the final of the competition “Concorso della Maschera più bella”.
Monday, February 28, 2022: Concorso della Maschera più bella children’s competition.
Tuesday, March 1, 2022: Award ceremony for the most beautiful Maria (4 pm) and “Svolo del Leon”.
Where to stay for the 2022 Venice Carnival?
Staying in a hotel on Venice is the perfect way to enjoy everything the lagoon city has to offer. Then you can explore late in the evening and early in the morning when most tourists have already left!
Meanwhile, I prefer to use Booking.com to find the right accommodation for my travels. The reviews from other travelers help me figure out which hotel suits me best. Hotel Rialto* is my first choice when I need a hotel in Venice: it is located in the center of Venice, right by the Rialto Bridge, and from there every corner of the city can be reached in no time.
The location of this 4-star hotel is ideal for exploring and discovering the city. Imagine sitting at the window of your junior suite and admiring the Rialto Bridge. Under the arch of the bridge, gondolas and boats are constantly crossing the Grand Canal and the vaporetti stop just steps from the hotel to bring all of Venice to you.
History of the Venice Cenival
The history and origins of the Carnival of Venice are topics that cause much fascination and enthusiasm. A look at it lets us know when and how this extraordinary event was born, how masks and costumes have evolved over time, what curious anecdotes and historical facts have characterized the Carnevale di Venezia…
The Carnival is one of the most important events in the Veneto region, and is probably the most important and famous festival in Venice. Attracting tourists from all over the world to the lagoon city, every year Carnival transforms the city into a potpourri of festivity and fun, accompanied by a series of entertainment, gastronomic and musical events.
Want to learn more about Carnival in Venice, its origins and its evolution? Then I recommend you this blog article on the topic: the history of the Carnival of Venice.
What the Marian Festival reminds and since when it is celebrated, you will learn in this blog article: The Feast of Mary – Festa delle Marie in Venice.
The 2022 Venice Carnival, as it is celebrated today, was revived only in 1979. It was triggered by the 1976 film “Casanova” by Federico Fellini, and the tourism industry in particular saw great potential in the revival. However, this event, which has evolved into a tourist spectacle, has little in common with the historic carnival.
Here are some activities you can do both during the Venice Carnival and in any other season:
The Venetian carnival masks
A great importance is given to the carnival masks, which also have an ancient tradition and were worn not only for the carnival itself.
The carnival masks were allowed from the day of S. Stefano (December 26), the day on which the Carnevale Veneziano began until midnight of the “Martedì Grasso” (Shrove Tuesday), which ended the carnival. On church holidays, however, wearing masks was forbidden.
However, mask wearing was allowed on other days of the year as well as at official banquets and major festivals of the Maritime Republic of Venice, called the Serenissima. The carnival mask offered protection from indiscreet glances from debtors or the “nobiluomini” dressed as beggars, the impoverished patricians who begged for alms on the street corner.
How is the Venice Carnival celebrated today?
The 2022 Venice Carnival opens on Saturday with the Festa delle Marie and the 12 girls in the most beautiful costumes of the Renaissance in the “Gran Teatro” in Piazza San Marco. On Sunday the official opening takes place with the angels’ flight from the Campanile di San Marco bell tower.
The entire 2022 Venice Carnival is accompanied by traditional food and exquisite drinks, from the opening on Saturday, February 12 and all Venetian festivities.
On Saturday evening and Sunday there is the historical parade with decorated boats in the canals. The tradition of Venetian rowing boats is closely related to the 2022 Venice Carnival. At the same time, along the Rio di Cannaregio, the public can taste samples of Venetian cuisine.
St. Mark’s Square events
Il Volo dell’Angelo – The Flight of the Angel
Historically, the angel flight dates back to the middle of the 16th century, when a young Ottoman ran on a rope from the bell tower of St. Mark’s Basilica to the Doge’s Palace to pay homage. In 1759 this tradition, which had existed for two centuries, had to be interrupted due to a tragic incident in which the acrobat died during the angel’s flight.
For about three centuries, the Angel Flight was replaced by the Flight of the Dove, in which a wooden dove replaced the tightrope walker and distributed confetti and flowers over the crowd in St. Mark’s Square.
In 2001, more recently, the traditional Volo dell’Angelo (Angel’s Flight) was revived with acrobatic performances by famous personalities from the world of Italian entertainment and sports. Since 2010 the acrobats of the Venetian Carnival have been the winners of the Festa delle Marie competition, the most beautiful mask of the 2022 Venice Carnival.
Il Volo dell’Aquila – The Flight of the Eagle
Due to the success of the Volo dell’Angelo (Angel’s Flight), another acrobatic flight over the festive crowd in St. Mark’s Square has been organized for Carnival since 2013: the Volo dell’Aquila (Eagle’s Flight).
In previous editions of the Eagle Flight, Italian sportswomen in costume flew over St. Mark’s Square, for example figure skating champion Carolina Kostner and Paralympic athlete and TV personality Giusy Versace.
Svolo del Leon – The Flight of the Lion
The Svolo del Leon is a celebration in honor of the winged Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice, which exceptionally climbs the Campanile and hovers on a large screen above the audience in the square.
The official website of the 2022 Venice Carnival is: carnevale.venezia.it/en.
This article was first published on salvati.photography.