In the months leading up to it, groups of participants and papier-mâché mask artisans, called mascareri in Venice, work hard to ensure everything is ready for the grand event, which lasts about ten days and offers events, shows, and musical parades in the various sestieri, encouraging visits to even the less frequented areas.
The first Sunday of Carnival is dedicated to costume parades and traditional festivities, both on the mainland and in the lagoon. The official gathering is at 11 am at Rio di Cannaregio, where the Venetian Feast begins, featuring a lively regatta of the rowing societies’ boats (about a hundred boats and 500 rowers), banquets, and food stands offering typical dishes of popular tradition.
At noon sharp, everyone looks up in St. Mark’s Square to not miss the magical Flight of the Angel: a jet set character descends suspended on a rope from the bell tower to the square, accompanied by the historical procession of the Doge and the Dogaressa.
The afternoon is instead dedicated to the Feast of the Maries, with seven beautiful Venetian girls, who parade carried on the shoulders of young men in historic costume from San Pietro in Castello to St. Mark’s Square.
