Carnival in Venice

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The Carnival in Venice originated from an important victory of the "Repubblica della Serenissima" (how it was called the town of VENEZIA in those times), in the war against Ulrico, Patriarch of Aquileia, in 1162. To celebrate this victory, dances and reunions started to take place in San Marco Square. Of course, how it was usual in those times, and due to the multicultural character of Venice, magicians and others joined the fun. Some for business, some for fun only. We should not forget that at the time Venice was a rather powerful small republic, center of much traveling inside Italy and on the road to China. At the beginning this celebration that started the day after Christmas went on for several centuries until the 17th century came, rejoicing in music, culture, rich garments and a growing middle class. And this is more the Carnival we know, to which we relate more. The music of Vivaldi, the masks, the beautiful and mysterious women, craziness and treason, all together. During those years one of the first laws made by the Serenissima was that masks cannot be used around the city at night. Later, Venice Carnival attracted foreigners - including princes - from all over Europe, who came to enjoy the wild festivities while spending fortunes. The streets of Venice Carnival were full of people in masks, and no differentiation could be made between nobility and the common people. Generally, the costume worn was a cloak with a long-nosed mask. Also popular were masked couples, where a man and a woman would dress as allegorical characters. Hiding personal identities was accepted by the "moral in kidding" of the aristocracy as well as by the interclassism Venice was founding its integrity of people on. In the late 1970's a popular spirit of Venice Carnival bloomed wild, young masked gangs started to throw weethstraw and eggs to not masqued people and
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