Carnival in Venice from 1100 to 1700

First mention to origin of Venetian Carnival start in century XII. Reading chronicles, during Thursday of Carnival Venice celebrated the victory of doge Vitale Michiel II on patriarch Ulrico in Aquileia in the year 1162 and each year, ad memoriam, Ulrico's successors had to send to Doge of Venice specific number of animals. Arrived, the cattle was slaughtered and cooked and distributed to people during banquets. This Thursday was called also "berlingaccio" (as insolent and ridiculous) to indicate specific meaning of this day for enemy of Venice. In the year 1269, then, with official document, Senate attributes "Carnival Tuesday" as holiday.

From middle of XIV century till end of XV century, organisation of Carnival Parties and began to be ruled and made official and responsible for this orgsanisation was "Sock Circles", which were grouops of aristocratic people, who were coloured socks, and each combinations of colours distinguished each district.

Today again in Venice, districts are six and for this reason they are called "sestrieri" ("sest" is for six). In order to remember each district, the listels of stem (or comb) of gondola are six.

During the Carnival days, a lot of majestic and important glamour spectacles were prepared for Doge Receptions and for government authority, more the other parties in aristocratic buildings. When Doge received foreign authorities, they see all spectacles into secondary squares of Piazza San Marco from balconies of Palazzo Ducale:

- fire machine with a lot of fireworks;

- human pyramid, called Hercules Power;

- Moresca ballet (Moresca is a mask for women);

- Blooding Bull beheading into Palazzo Ducale Court;

- Angel or dove flight.

To be precise, this last tradition, in the beginning, was the walk of Turkish prisoner on a rope from Bell Tower to Doge Palace presenting him a gift and to obtain freedom; in the worst hypothesis these prisoners fell down and dead. This traditions celebrated meanings of majority of Venice on East Lands. During centuries, this walk has been substituted by flight of Angel, a slung person who went down on the same rope, to symbolize peace and then this person has been substituted by a mechanic dove. Only in the last year, tradition came back to Angel flight. In italian history tradition, Carnival is before Lent. In Venice during the XVIII century, this period has been enlarged and the start was on October when Theatres opened. In Europe Venice was a town with several theatres: S.Salvador (today known as Teatro Goldoni), S.Cassiano, S.Angelo, S.Moisè. Then other private theatres were: S.Giovanni Crisostomo (today Teatro Malibran), S.Samuele and then S.Benedetto, destroyed during a fire and after lot of legal disputes, it has been re-built into "La Fenice".

Properly, Carnival started in St.Stephen's day (December 26th), when Authorities gave permissions to wear masks. Top of Celebrations were on Thursady before Lent and all stopped on Tuesday before Lent. Today Tuesday before Lent is called also "Mardi gras". Carnival meant spectacles in theatres, caffès, casinos and private circles, but in generale this meant all amusing behaviour, when aristocratic and normal people were the same into the streets. In this situation, mask represented unique possibility, into mixed society with strong distintions, to be equal and confused and to be anonym. Another evidence is from a chronicle of abbot Marco Marchetti, when he told about his life in Venice and a discussion between son of Spanish Ambassador and a mask in night of November 20th 1696 on politics rule of Venice Inquisitors.

Again, Montesquieu in his memories thought about glamour and Venetian Carnival. This moment was very important, that cannot be interrupted. For this reason, the death of Doge Paolo Renier, happened on February 13th 1789 has been announced only in March 2nd at the end of all receptions and parties.