Carnival of Venice 2023

Do you want to know exactly when and where will take place the Venice Carnival 2025?

The Carnival of Venice 2023 (Carnevale di Venezia 2023) took place between Saturday, February 4, and Tuesday, February 21, 2023, in the beautiful city of Venice.

After two years in which the Venice Carnival was held online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 edition of the festival returned to its pre-pandemic glory, and we were able to admire once again on the streets of Venice the wonderful masks and costumes worn by thousands of people coming from all over the world.

The next edition of the event, the Carnival of Venice 2024, will take place between January 27 and February 13, 2024.

SHORT HISTORY OF THE CARNIVAL OF VENICE

The first information about the Venetian Carnival dates back to 1094, when the word carnevale was mentioned for the first time in a document signed by the Doge Vitale Faliero.

Back then, the carnival was an event dedicated in particular to people from the lower classes, who, through the anonymity guaranteed by masks, could relate with the nobility of the time.

The first official document declaring the Venice Carnival a public holiday dates back to 1296, when the Senate of the Venetian Republic set it before Lent. Starting with 1296, for the next few centuries, the Carnival lasted six weeks, usually between December 26 and Ash Wednesday.

During the 18th century, the Carnival reached its maximum splendor and international recognition, becoming famous throughout Europe, and Venice a destination that attracted thousands of visitors.

Starting with 1797, when Napoleon invaded northern Italy, and later, during the subsequent Austrian occupation, the tradition was interrupted for fear of rebellion. Only on the islands of the Venice Lagoon, in particular Murano and Burano, the Carnival was held, though in a more subtle manner.

Only in 1979, the centuries-old tradition of the Venetian Carnival was officially reborn, thanks to the initiative of some citizen associations and the economic contribution of the Municipality of Venice.

Traditionally, the most important days of the Carnival are Fat Thursday (the last Thursday before Lent), and Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent), but the greatest influx of tourists is certainly recorded during the weekends of the festival.

During the Carnival of Venice 2023, Fat Thursday will fall on February 16, and Shrove Tuesday on February 21.

The individual annual editions of the modern Carnival of Venice have often been dedicated to a basic theme. Some editions were characterized by pairings with other Italian and European cities, thus providing a further involvement of the event at an international level.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE VENICE CARNIVAL 2023

Starting with the first edition of the current Venice Carnival, in 1979, a program of events and a detailed calendar was established.

Unlike the Venetian Carnival of the past, which had an official duration of six weeks, the modern one takes place for only 18 days in a row, but is full of individual events.

In addition to the official events, various private parties and masked balls are organized in the beautiful Venetian palaces. In these venues, due to the almost unchanged furnishings and atmosphere, it is possible to relive the ancient splendors of the Venetian Carnival of the past.

As usual, the highlights of the Carnival of Venice 2023 will be:

• Saturday, February 4 – The Opening Parade of the Venice Carnival 2023, along the Grand Canal;
• Sunday, February 5 – The Traditional Parade of the typical Venetian boats along the Grand Canal;
• Saturday, February 11 – Festa delle Marie, in Piazza San Marco;
• Flight of the Angel (Volo dell’Angelo), in Piazza San Marco;
• Flight of the Eagle (Volo dell’Aquila), in Piazza San Marco;
• Best Mask Contest, the Grand Final, in Piazza San Marco.
• February 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 – The Official Dinner Show and Ball of the Venice Carnival 2023.

PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE CARNIVAL OF VENICE

If you are passionate about photography, and you love Venetian masks and costumes, you can find photos from the previous editions of the Venice Carnival on our blog, at the following links:

Carnival of Venice 2018 | Carnival of Venice 2020 | Carnival of Venice 2023