{"id":2476,"date":"2019-04-08T09:32:05","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T09:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cducomb.colgate.domains\/globaltheater\/?p=2476"},"modified":"2019-05-13T02:23:18","modified_gmt":"2019-05-13T02:23:18","slug":"the-art-of-carnival-in-venice-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cducomb.colgate.domains\/globaltheater\/europe\/the-art-of-carnival-in-venice-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Carnival in Venice, Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Carnival in Venice is closely tied to the religious ritual known as Lent. This ritual is a part of the Catholic faith that requires followers to restrain from indulging in luxuries like partying, drinking, and eating meat in order to \u201creplicate\u201d the sacrifices Jesus made on his 40 day desert journey. Carnival is the celebration right before lent to spoil yourself with all the luxuries you are giving up for lent. This time period exists due to the difference in the dates of the Resurrection in the Romand and Jewish calendars. Due to the fact that this event falls on different weeks, there are days in which religious time does not exist. In this interval all religious restrictions and fasting traditions do not apply to the people. Therefore, there are numerous days of celebration and extravagant parties. Venice Carnival began in 1162 when townspeople decided to celebrate the victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia. The word Carnevale came from the latin words carne and vale which means \u201cfarewell to meat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The original Carnival lasted several weeks in the whole city so that everyone could take a moment away from their mundane daily profession and engage in music, dances and parties while barely working at all for the time being. This was also used as a method of social control in order to maintain a well functioning society. Giving people complete freedom reduces built up stress and emotion. Masks played such a large role in Venetian Carnival because it allowed people to conceal their identity and not be obstructed by their social class. This was a way for the Serene Republic of Venice to maintain order and power through the rest of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the start 18th century Carnival became famous internationally and was more popular than ever before. By the end of the 18th century Carnival was slowly fading away. The French were occupying the republic first and the Austrians took over towards the end foreboding anyone from wearing masks on a daily basis. This did not completely end Carnival but it was only celebrated in some parts of Italy. It took up until 1979 for Carnival to be restored to its original beauty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Figure 1. A traditional Carnival scene in Venice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Masks and Costumes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Early Venetian masks were simple and served a practical purpose. Originally they were made of leather, porcelain, or glass but now can be found made from paper mache or plastic and produced by American factories. The masks and costumes of Carnival represent spirits and “gods” of the forest which often was also associated with satyrs and demons. Since religion did not exist within this time period, these characters which are usually shunned and repressed are able to come out. Some of these savage masks were later adopted and used by theater. In addition, the masks served as a bridge to equality. The costumes and masks covered the identity of individuals and created a sense of freedom among all people. In fact, to ensure equality and the interaction between the social classes, people greeted each other by saying “hello mask” instead of each other’s names. Even small babies were masked while being held in their mother’s arms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Bauta<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bauta is a mask painted completely white and is used to cover and \u201cprotect\u201d the entire face. It has a large protruding nose and no mouth, but enough room underneath for the person wearing it to talk and eat without taking off the mask and revealing their identity. In 18th century Venice, the bauta was worn during political events to conceal the identity of those in charge of the decision-making. The bauta is still a popular mask worn during Carnival in Venice, today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Figure 2. A modern depiction of a Bauta mask.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Medico Della Peste<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translated to \u201cThe Plague Doctor,\u201d this mask was created by 17th-century French physician Charles de Lorme. He adopted the mask for sanitary precautions while treating plague victims. The birdlike mask was not worn by Carnival goers in 17th and 18th century Venice, only by doctors. In time, the mask became a popular Carnival mask, decorated in crystals and worn as a memento mori<\/em>, a remembrance of their mortality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Figue 4. A traditional Medico Della Peste mask.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Volto (Larva)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The volto or larva mask is one of the most iconic Venetian masks worn during Carnival. The “volto” or “larva” mask is originally a white mask worn with a three cornered hat.  The term “larva” refers to “ghosts” and the white masks seemed to eerie in the moonlight.  This mask was worn by both men and women and the original masks did not cover the entire face, but allowed the wearer to drink, eat, and talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Figure 6. Carnival costume with a Volto\/larva mask.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Colombina<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colombina means \u201clittle dove\u201d in Italian. This mask is almost always worn by women. It is a half-mask only surrounding the eyes and covering the cheek bones, gilded with feathers, gold or silver detail, crystals, and feathers. The mask comes from Commedia dell\u2019arte, which is an improvised kind of popular comedy in Italian theaters in the 16th\u201318th centuries, based on stock characters. The first actress to perform in commedia dell\u2019arte felt her face was much too beautiful to cover so she decided to wear the half-mask. The mask became a popular look during Carnival and is still popularly worn by women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Figure 3. A Colombina mask<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Moretta\/Servetta muta<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meaning \u201cdark one\u201d or \u201cmute servant woman,\u201d this mask was a small, black velvet, oval mask worn by patrician women. The mask was just big enough to conceal a woman\u2019s identity. The mask had no nose or mouth holes, just the eyes, and was held up by a button in the mouth, hence the meaning behind the \u201cmute\u201d aspect. The mask was seen as seductive because it only concealed a small portion of a woman\u2019s face. 18th century Venetian woman wore these masks with a popular mode of fashion, \u201cd\u00e9collet\u00e9 alla veneziana,\u201d which accentuated the breasts and made women appear more attractive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Figure 5. This image shows a woman wearing a traditional Moretta mask.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pantalone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important characters in Commedia dell\u2019arte, Pantalone is known to be very greedy because his character is at the top of the social order. Pantalone refers to \u201cmoney\u201d in the commedia world. Pantalone full name is \u201cPantalone de\u2019 Bisognosi\u201d which in English is translated to \u2018Pantalone of the Needy.\u2019 The mask is usually made with an oversized nose with high brows and slanted eyes. Pantalone is only half a mask and is typically worn by men. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Figure 7. A mask showing some aspects of a Pantalone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n