"Give a man a mask and he'll tell you the truth" (Oscar Wilde)

A reveller stands pretty near the Servizio gondola.

The Carnavale di Venezia  or Venice Carnival, celebrated in the Venetian region of North Italy, is one of the most spectacular events of the world. Also known as the photographer’s paradise, the Venice Carnival dates back to the 13th century. The first ever carnival was held on 2nd May 1268 and by 1296 the Carnival of Venice became an official event with the Senate of the Republic declaring the opening day of the carnival as a public holiday.

A masked man stands alone at dusk under the ancient lamp overlooking the sea.

However, the event was outlawed under Fascist regime which forbade the act of wearing a mask in public. So for the next fifty years the Carnavale di Venezia was reduced to a small attraction at children’s parties. The year 1979, however, saw its revival and since then the carnival has grown into one of the biggest festivals in Europe which attracts millions of people from all over the world.

A woman shows off her gorgeous costume standing near the famous Bell tower of St. Mark’s Square. Behind her is the Basilica di San Marco, a famous landmark in Venice.

The Carnavale di Venezia usually starts in the month of February each year when people take to the streets donning beautiful masks and gorgeous costumes. The biggest gathering of the revellers is held at Piazza San Marco (or St. Mark's Square), Riyalto fish market (near the famous Riyalto Bridge) and the Isola di Burano (Burano Island). The second Sunday of the 2010 carnival attracted as many as 1,50,000 people from all parts of the world.

A street makeup artist at work at the carnival.

The 2011 carnival is scheduled to run from 26th February to the 8th of March.

An Italian man dressed as an Arab sheikh during the carnival. 

About Tuhin
Tuhin is a Venice based Indian freelance photographer currently working at University of Padua, Italy. He has been an active member of Fotoflock from the past six months. He is mainly interested in people oriented photography and his photographs and articles on photography have been published in various International photography magazines and websites. He has also been a contributing photographer for www.nationalgeographicstock.com. View Tuhin’s Fotoflock gallery here.

Photos and Article by Tuhin Subhra Dey