Venice Carnival - Chasing The Unexpected

Venice Carnival, a tornado of colors and emotions
From a trip to Venice in the first week of its popular
Carnival
Dubbed “the most romantic city in the world” countless times,
Venice is probably also one of the world’s preferred subjects for
comparison: this is how we have phenomena such as “the Venice of
the East”, “Shanghai’s little Venice”, but truth is, no matter how
many countries try to boast their own Venice, no-one has ever
gotten close to the original version. Why? Because Venice is only
one, its charm is spontaneous, its origins written in history long time
ago, its appeal very simple, a cluster of islands and land slices lapped
by a languid yet obstreperous lagoon that seems to find amusement
in catching visitors unprepared.
The tornado of colors, emotions and energy that is Venice Carnival
During the Carnival, in Venice masks, too, have a soul
Flirting in the world's most romantic lagoon
Often synonymous with wild parties and endless fun, in Venice the
Carnival goes way beyond that. Today this might be a simple
festival, but back in the day of the Doge rule when Venice was the
Serenissima Republic, this type of celebration was their
interpretation of Roman propaganda ruse “Panem et Circenses”:
puttng into practice the Latin motto of wild Dionysus rituals “Semel
in anno licet insanire” (Once a year one is allowed to go crazy),
Venetian rulers introduced the carnival for the lower classes to have
the chance to blend with the higher layers of the society, the noble
clans and aristocratic families, feeling closer to, and even making fun
of them.
How was this possible? By hiding behind a mask.
Venice Carnival is also love story
Considered a sort of relief valve to keep social tensions under control,
Venice Carnival, like pretty much all carnivals, originates from ancestral
rituals performed at the end of the winter to welcome the warm season
and augur well for a generous harvest.
The first written document mentioning the Venice Carnival dates back to
1094, when the city was under the rule of Doge Vitale Falier, and it was
officially declared a public holiday in 1296, when the Republican Senate
declared holiday the last day of Lent. Today the Carnival happens right
before Lent, a sort of permission to have fun before starting the month of
repentance, and lasts much less than before, as in republican times could
endure for several months, making people rightfully whisper that in
Venice the Carnival fever never stops. And it’s the same enthusiasm of
Venetians’ toward debauchery that led the rulers to stop the excessive
reveling by passing new laws on limiting the use of the mask, somehow
become symbol of freedom and licentiousness.
The eyes and a whole life behind the mask
Posing and acting
Pensive in the lagoon
Tears
The peacock
The peacock in the lagoon
Sisters
Purple
Looking for inspiration on the lagoon
The dreamy couple
The romantic warrior
The kiss
Taking down the mask
Red
Peeping at you
Two bodies, one heart
Like a statue
The blue joker
White in a sea of colors
Orange in the background of
Venice magnificence
The mask and the gondolas
The white knight
The green and the lagoon
The couple and St. Mark's
Campanile
One more couple at the feet of St. Mark's Campanile
Friends
I hope you enjoyed the ride around the colors of the Venice
Carnival 2015. As usual, all feedback and comments are
most welcome!
www.chasingtheunexpected.com