Venice's traditional annual carnival has begun

The history of the Venice Carnival begins in 1094, but until the 14th century it was more of a folk festival than a carnival, since masks were not worn there. As could be expected, when masks came into use, they began to be used for anonymity during merry carnival adventures - both by the nobility and the common people, as well as by girls of easy virtue, which became the reason for their ban in 1703. True, a year later masks were allowed again, but in 1797 the carnival itself was banned. 

It was revived only in 1979, when it was decided to make Venice, which by that time was turning into a provincial industrial and port city, an international center of cultural tourism. It turned out - so much so that now Venice does not know how to fight off the 20 million tourists visiting it every year. The carnival, the opening of which is reported by francetvinfo. fr., brings a small share of this number - "only" half a million tourists, but this happens in the "dead" winter season. In addition, these half a million do not come for one day, which means, unlike cruise ship passengers, they pay for accommodation in hotels.

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As reported by the French publication, on Sunday, February 16, the first participants of the carnival in costumes already paraded along the lagoon. The costumes are sewn and decorated in local workshops by hand, and each detail is worked out so as to correspond to the era. And, of course, this is another source of profit for the Venetians. By the way, if you use not cheap masks for tourists, which are sold as souvenirs all year round, but real, hand-made ones, then this is at least another hundred euros.

The first concert this year gathered 20 thousand people in St. Mark's Square. Dozens of boats sailed along the Grand Canal, escorting Pantegana, the giant papier-mâché rat that symbolizes the event, to the Rialto Bridge, which exploded in a celebration of colors to mark the start of the carnival.

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