In the months leading up to it, participant groups and papier-mâché mask artisans, known in Venice as mascareri, work tirelessly to ensure everything is ready for the grand festival, which lasts about ten days and features events, shows, and musical parades across the various sestieri, encouraging visitors to explore even the less frequented areas.
The first Sunday of Carnival is dedicated to costume parades and traditional celebrations, both on the mainland and in the lagoon. The official gathering is at 11 AM at Rio di Cannaregio, where the Venetian Festival begins with a lively regatta of rowing club boats (around a hundred boats and 500 rowers), banquets, and food stands offering typical dishes from popular tradition.
At noon sharp, everyone heads to St. Mark’s Square with their eyes skyward, so as not to miss the magical Flight of the Angel: a celebrity descends suspended by a rope from the bell tower to the square, accompanied by the historic procession of the Doge and the Dogaressa.
The afternoon is dedicated to the Feast of the Maries, featuring seven beautiful Venetian girls, who parade shoulder-carried by young men in historic costume from San Pietro in Castello to St. Mark’s Square.
