Venetian Carnival Masks are famous all over the world, and the majority of people visiting Venice go back home with at least one original Venice mask in their luggage.

In case you wonder why people love Venice Carnival Masks, it’s simple – first of all, because they are extremely beautiful and unique, but also because of their history.

If you’re curious, we have already written a post about the true history of Venice Carnival Mask, you can read it on our blog.

Most people do know that once in Venice they can buy a masquerade mask, but they don’t usually know that they can also make their own Venetian Carnival Mask, in the same way the so-called mascareri (people who made masks in Venice) used to make them.

Where can you challenge yourself with the creation of your own mask? Let’s have a look at a couple of places we usually recommend.

Where to make your own Venetian Carnival Mask

There are many places in Venice, mostly located in the districts of Dorsoduro and San Polo, where you can make your own Venetian Carnival Mask. Those we’re listing today are the f handmade mask workshops we prefer.

• La Bauta: probably one of the most famous handcrafted mask stores and workshops in Venice. It’s located in Dorsoduro district, a few steps away from Campo San Barnaba, where Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed. You’ll find it easily since a dummy wearing the traditional Plague Doctor costume is standing at the entrance.

• Ca’ Macana: this shop is located in Dorsoduro district too, and it’s open since 1986 when the Venice Carnival was born again after almost two centuries of decline. Their name is well known because every mask they sell is handmade, and also because of their way of teaching how to make one – by telling the real history of Venetian masks.

• Tragicomica: this atelier is located in San Polo district. Gualtiero Dall’Osto is the owner and he started his career studying at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Venice, and then he took part in stages of History and Technology of the Mask. His workshops last about 2 hours and during each lesson, he explains everything you need to know to make a perfect Venetian Carnival Mask to take home with you.

Read also: Artisans boutiques in Venice you should visit

How to make Venetian masks

Well, now you know where you can attend a mask-making workshop, but how is a Venetian mask made, exactly?

Traditional mask-makers craft a model from clay or stucco, which they use to create many masks. Once the clay of the plaster is ready, they start pressing wet paper pulp over it and let it dry for a while. When the paper finally gets dry, it keeps the shape of the clay and they can start cutting the holes for the eyes and – if desired – for the mouth. After that, they start painting it. This process is the one you’ll follow in a mask-maker workshop like those we listed. Ready to make your own Venetian Carnival Mask?

There are many ways to plan a trip to Venice. You can surf the web, you can ask people who have already visited the city to give you some advice, or you can consult a bunch of travel guides. According to our experience, reading books about Venice before traveling here is the best way to start knowing the city and its unique history.

But the question is: what are the best books about Venice for your trip? In this article, we would like to give you some titles you might find interesting to make your first time in Venice really special and full of things to discover.

Venice & The Veneto city guide, Lonely Planet

Everyone knows Lonely Planet’s travel guides, and if you’ve bought at least one in your life, you know they are precise and really useful, especially in a city you’re visiting for the first time. Moreover, this travel guide gives you some tips to visit the whole Veneto region, including some ideas to enjoy a day-trip from Venice.

Read also: Day trip from Venice to the Dolomites: how to get there

Secret Venice, Thomas Jonglez and Paola Zoffoli

If you’re looking for an unconventional guide of Venice, this might be the one. This book is a collection of fun and curious facts about Venice that will certainly spice up your trip. This book will help you discover places and stories you won’t know if you buy just a regular travel guide that tells you about the most famous bridges in Venice or why visiting the Doge’s Palace.

Corto Maltese: Fable of Venice, Hugo Pratt

Do you know Corto Maltese? He’s a sea captain adventuring during the early 20th century, who was born from Hugo Pratt’s pen. He’s the protagonist of this unusual Venice travel guide – in fact, it’s Corto Maltese himself who guides the reader through the intricate net of alleyways that characterizes our city. This book represents a new and original way to visit Venice.

Venice Is a Fish: A Sensual Guide, Tiziano Scarpa

Tiziano Scarpa is a well-known Venetian writer who loves Venice and writes to defend its fragility. In this book about Venice, the author describes real life in the city, guiding readers through tiny alleys and squares, helping them experience Venice as its inhabitants do, and deeply understand both its uniqueness and its weaknesses.

This is a book that talks about Venice from the bottom of Tiziano Scarpa’s heart.

Why these books about Venice are the best to prepare your trip

Even if there are numerous books about Venice that you can buy and use to prepare your trip to the city built on water, we choose these because we think they could help you get familiar with a place that is completely different from any other city in the world.

Venice is unique both in its history and in its structure, but thanks to these books we have listed here, you’ll be able to enjoy our city in every detail.

Of course, if you need any help or suggestions to organize your stay in Venice, don’t hesitate to contact us.

The Bridge of Sighs is one of the most famous bridges in Venice, connecting the Doge’s Palace to the Prison building, near St. Mark’s Square.

This bridge is not like the others you’ll see in Venice. In fact, it can’t be crossed, unless you attend the regular visit to the Doge’s Palace or the Secret Itinerary Tour.

Nowaday the Bridge of Sighs is probably the most photographed bridge in the world, but people often don’t know its history, and why it has this name. This is what we are going to reveal today.

What is the history behind the Bridge of Sighs and its name?

Before 1589, prisoners were kept inside the Doge’s Palace, but then the Senate felt the need to build a separate building to host them. Consequently, it was necessary to build a bridge to link the two buildings, and the job was assigned to the architect Antonio Contin.

The main reason why the Bridge of Sighs was requested by the Doge in charge, Marino Grimani, was to prevent the escape of prisoners. In fact, the bridge is closed on both sides.

Prisoners used to cross it to reach the interrogation room, located in the Doge’s Palace, where they would find out what their sentence was. This is why the name of the bridge is commonly associated with the image of a prisoner who, walking through it, turns his gaze to the lagoon for the last time, sighing.

It’s a strong image, but it’s probably not far from the truth.

Now that you know the history behind the Bridge of Sighs, you will certainly understand why its name can’t refer to the promise of eternal love as some people say.

What can you see from the Bridge of Sighs in Venice

Antonio Contin built the Bridge of Sighs in Istrian stone, and being a closed bridge, it was projected with two small windows drilled into the marble, on both sides.

What can you see from them? The majestic San Giorgio Maggiore island, where the church of the same name is located, surrounded by the lagoon.

It’s an image you’ll remember forever once you see it, especially if you think that it’s exactly what prisoners used to see while they were going back to their cells, after having become aware of their destiny.

Lord Byron and the Bridge of Sighs

As you may know, Lord Byron spent some time in Venice during his life, and he wrote a poem about the city he fell in love with. In fact, the poem is entitled “Venice” and it begins with these words:

“I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs;

A palace and a prison on each hand;

I saw from out the wave her structures rise

As from the stroke of the enchanter’s wand […]”

It was because of this poem that the world knew about the Bridge of Sighs and this name.

Like Lord Byron, you can admire Venice from the Bridge of Sighs in the same exact viewpoint.

Take a picture form there and take it with you, it will be one of the best memories of your vacation in Venice.

We won’t be wrong if we say that Venice is the city of bridges. Do you know how many bridges there are in Venice? They are almost 400, 391 to be precise. Venice is built on water and people used to move around it by boat – in fact, there were no bridges connecting islands to one another in the past. The very first bridge that was built in Venice was the well-known Ponte di Rialto, which originally didn’t have its current shape.

This is not just another blog post, but a real guide through the most famous bridges in Venice, that you can print out and take with you during your holiday here.

Rialto Bridge

As we said, the Rialto bridge was the first one to be built in Venice, mainly because it’s located in the heart of the city where the economy started growing.

It was rebuilt several times. Initially, it was a wooden bridge, with two inclined ramps, to allow the passage of ships crossing the Grand Canal and reach the Rialto Fish Market and the Erbaria to sell their goods.

The bridge everyone photographs today was built in 1591 after it collapsed in 1524.

The main characteristic of this beautiful stone bridge is that it was planned to host many shops, which are still located under the two porticos on both inclined ramps that meet in the middle of the bridge.

Today, this bridge is one of the uncontested icons of Venice – you must see it.

Ponte dei Pugni

Not many people know about this bridge, but it played an important role in the history of Venice. In fact, it is called “the bridge of fists” because it was where Castellani and Nicolotti – two groups of Venice inhabitants – used to punch each other to defend their reasons.

In the past, bridges had no parapet, so the goal of this ‘punching game’ was to push as many opponents as possible into the canal.

The most famous bridge of fists in Venice is located in >Dorsoduro district, but a few people know that there’s another one in Cannaregio district, close to Santa Fosca.

Bridge of Sighs

You have certainly seen at least a picture of this bridge while surfing the web, maybe searching for a self-guided walking tour in Venice or what’s <the best itinerary to attend at the Doge’s Palace. This bridge is so different from all the others around the city, in fact, it’s not a public bridge but it connects the Doge’s Palace to the building of the New Prisons.

Many legends have been told about this bridge, but the truth is that it was just the way for prisoners to reach the interrogation rooms, to find out their sentence. During the visit to the Doge’s Palace, you’ll have the chance to cross it and see the island of St. Giorgio Maggiore from its tiny windows, just like prisoners used to see it before their – probable – death.

Accademia Bridge

The Accademia bridge is one of the fourth bridges – including the Rialto Bridge and the Scalzi bridge we are about to talk about – crossing the Grand Canal. Nowadays it’s the longest wooden bridge in Venice, and it connects the Gallerie dell’Accademia to Campo Santo Stefano.

History has it that the construction of this bridge was suggested in 1488, but nothing was done until 1854, because the members of the Council didn’t think it could be useful.

Last but not least, there’s no doubt this bridge is actually one of the best places to watch the sunset in Venice, and we are sure you don’t want to miss the chance to see one if you’re traveling as a couple.

Read also: Venice for couples, 3 special things to do

Ponte degli Scalzi

This last famous bridge in Venice we would like to present in this article is the so-called Ponte degli Scalzi. The original bridge was built in 1858 by Alfred Neville, when Venice was under Habsburg domination, but then it was replaced by the one we can cross today, projected by Eugenio Miozzi. Its name, which literally means “bridge of barefoot”, is due to its proximity to the church of San Nazareth, where Carmelites celebrated Mass for 300 years.

We already had the chance to talk about what to eat in Venice, also mentioning the tradition of the bacaro tour and the passion Venetians have for the ‘happy hour’. But in this article, we would like to share with you some curiosities and things you can only eat in Venice, that you definitely should taste.

1. Cooking eels

There are no legends or curious tales about why eels – anguilla in Italian and bisato in Venetian dialect – are so common in Venetian cuisine. In fact, the main reason why Venetians invented so many recipes with this kind of fish is that the Venetian lagoon is full of them.

The eel is an odd fish that in the past was usually associated with myths – nowadays still nobody knows how it reproduces – but what we certainly know is that it’s really tasty!

There are a couple of recipes we would like to mention, Anguilla alla Mocenigo and Anguilla su l’ara.

We are sure you’ll have recognized the surname of an important Venetian family with the first one, Mocenigo. In fact, the name is probably related to the place where the eels were fished, close to one of the Mocenigo’s mansions in the countryside. The second one, instead, refers to the way the eel was cooked, on the “ara”, which was a flat stone surface used in the furnaces of Murano island. Venetians used to put the eel inside a terracotta pan and cook it slowly, for hours. Unfortunately, cooking the eel this way is near impossible, but you can still taste a good anguilla in some traditional restaurants in Venice.

2. Snails with garlic and oil for the Redentore Festival

Not many people love eating escargot, but these snails are different: they are smaller. Venetians usually cook them for the Redentore Festival, in July, the annual appointment to commemorate the end of a terrible plague that affected Venice in 1576 with a firework display.

Even if snails – bovoleti in Venetian dialect – are so easy to prepare, you won’t find them easily in the Venice restaurants. Don’t worry, we can recommend some places where you can try them. Don’t forget to eat them with a toothpick!

3. Bigoli in Salsa

This is a pretty common Venetian dish and you won’t have any difficulties in finding a place to eat it. Bigoli in Salsa is the Venetian name of a plate made of thick spaghetti, onions, and anchovies. It’s an ancient recipe that, just like snails, was traditionally prepared for the Redentore Festival and also for the Christmas dinner.

Maybe the taste is a bit strong, but it is worth a try!

4. The traditional Castradina

This is a Venetian dish you won’t find in Venice every month of the year, in fact it’s usually prepared for the Madonna della Salute Feast., in November.

Venetians have been eating the Castradina since the 17th century, and – on this specific day – you’ll be able to find this soup with stewed mutton and savoy cabbage even in restaurants.

We are looking forward to knowing if you like it!

5. Schie con la polenta

Last but not least, this is another traditional thing you can only eat in Venice. Schie con la polenta is a fish dish, made of fried local shrimps, that you can only find in the Venetian lagoon, served with a bit of polenta. It’s a simple recipe, but very tasty and easy to find in any restaurant. Since it’s not related to any kind of festival, you can eat it any time of the year.

The St. Mark’s Basilica is certainly one of the best churches to see in Venice, not only because it’s the most important one in the city, but also because it’s one of the most unique and curious. In fact, in this article, we’ll see some interesting facts about St. Mark’s Basilica that you probably didn’t know yet!

Let’s start!

Most of the basilica’s treasures came from the Crusades

As you probably know, Venice wasn’t a belligerent city, it was more focused on business and trade. Anyway, when it had the chance to benefit from a war or a Crusade, it usually didn’t back down. For example, the fourth Crusade was crucial for Venetians, since they were asked by Pope Innocent III to build the navy that would have brought the crusaders to Egypt.

Unfortunately, when all the ships were ready, the crusaders didn’t have the money to pay for them, so Venetians, who knew that this would have affected their trade and finance, decided to participate in the Crusade anyway to compensate the loss with part of the plundered goods.

As you can imagine, many of these treasures were then placed in St. Mark’s Basilica, and some of them are still there.

The Horses of St. Mark’s Basilica

Speaking of treasures, one of the things Venetians took home from Constantinople during the fourth Crusade was the Triumphal Quadriga – now known as the Horses of St. Mark – which were located in the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Those you see today on the Basilica facade are a copy, the original ones are inside the church.

The Virgin Mary with a gun

It might sound weird, but inside St. Mark’s Basilica, there’s actually a relief of the Virgin Mary with a gun on one side. If the relief dates to the 13th century, the gun was put there in 1849 by Venetian sailors who survived the explosion of an Austrian bomb in Marghera (a city near Mestre).

The prestigious Pala d’Oro

The altarpiece is the famous Pala d’Oro, a gold panel covered with precious gems. Needless to say, it’s an incredible work of art, but the thing that many people don’t know is that when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Venice and took many of its treasures away, Venetians managed to keep the Pala d’Oro with an innocent lie.

Actually, it wasn’t a lie, but a misunderstanding. In Venetian dialect the word “glass” (Vetro in Italian) is the same as the word “authentic” (Vero in italian), so when Venetians told Napoleon that the golden panel was authentic (vero) it sounded like “the golden panel is made of glass” so he assumed that all the colored gems inside the panel were just pieces of colored glass, and he left it there. Whether this is true, or just a nice story to justify the fact that Napoleon didn’t take the Pala d’Oro to France, we’ll never know, but the fact is that it’s still in place.

Want to know more about Venice and its curiosities? We suggest reading our article about Venice’s hidden gardens or the one about the history of the first Casino in Europe, in our blog.

Moreover, if you like mystery, there’s a secret tour inside the Doge’s Palace we really recommend. You’re going to love it!

Venice Lido is an island of the Venetian lagoon, mainly known for hosting the Venice Film Festival every year and for being one of the few places where to go swimming in summer. In fact, Venice Lido is the closest beach from Venice’s historic center and the only way to reach it is by vaporetto.

How far is Lido from Venice? It depends on where you take the vaporetto. For example, there’s a quick line departing from Piazzale Roma, that takes you there in about 20 minutes. To know more about Venice City Pass and how public transport works, we suggest spending some time reading our blog, where you can find some useful information for your holiday in Venice.

But Lido island is not just about beaches and festivals, but also a place with a lot of things to do and see, especially if you’re not staying in Venice just for a day or two.

So, here’s our list of things to do on Venice Lido island in one day.

Alberoni beach: a natural paradise

If you’re not interested in well-equipped beaches, you’ll like this one. Alberoni is a clean and wild beach, where Venetians love to go in summer. It’s a bit far from the Santa Elisabetta stop, where you the vaporetto will drop you off, but it’s worth it, especially if you’re looking for some silence and peace.

From Santa Elisabetta stop, you can take a bus and reach Alberoni beach through a pinewood, which is nice because you can meet different kinds of birds that otherwise you won’t see.

Church Of San Nicolò Al Lido

San Nicolò al Lido is an important church on Lido island, particularly because it’s the place where the famous Festa della Sensa – the marriage between Venice and the sea – ends. Moreover, this church houses part of St Nicholas’ remains, patron saint of sailors.

Next to the church, there’s also a monastery, dedicated to the same saint, dating back to the origins of Venice in the early Middle Ages. Another thing you can’t miss here is the great cloister from the 16th century.

The Ancient Jewish Cemetery

In Cannaregio district, there’s the Jewish ghetto, and the ancient Jewish Cemetery is located on Lido island, near San Nicolò church. If you would like to visit it, you can do it by appointment.

Discover Malamocco

Malamocco is a picturesque village, located in the southern part of Lido. Before the Serenissima Republic was born, Malamocco was the only settlement on the island, and for a long time, it was the original home of the Doge of Venice, then moved to the Doge’s Palace – where we recommend attending the secret tour inside the palace. Here you can also visit Santa Maria Assunta church, which was originally dedicated to Madonna della Marina – Our Lady of the Sea – and dates back to the 12th century.

Is Venice Lido worth visiting?

The answer is: certainly yes! As you see, Venice Lido is not just a place to go sunbathing in summer, but an island full of things to do, including a long and relaxing walk along Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, a street that crosses the island from the vaporetto stop to the beaches.

Last tip: if you’d like an unusual gondola ride, you can even ask the gondolier to take you all the way to Lido on the most beautiful and t<raditional Venetian boat, to enjoy the sunset above Venice.

As you know, having a good breakfast is really important to get the day off to a good start, especially if you are about to walk around a lot – and in Venice, you certainly are!

Where is the best to have a nice, traditional breakfast in Venice? Of course, our first suggestion is trying our breakfast on the first floor, where every morning you’ll find a rich buffet, with any kind of food you might want to start your day. If you feel like having breakfast in your room, don’t hesitate to ask us about our room service.

Do you want to know more about our breakfast? Our Tripadvisor profile is full of reviews about it!

If you would like to have breakfast in a Venetian patisserie instead, here’s our list of those we love the most, but be aware that Italians never have eggs in the morning, so don’t expect to find any – instead, you’ll findmany, many sweets!

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Tonolo

Let’s start with the most famous patisserie in town, Pasticceria Tonolo, mostly frequented by students since it’s located near Ca’ Foscari University in Dorsoduro district.

Open since 1953, it sweetens the mornings of Venetians with its fantastic chantilly cream and fruit pastries, but if you have the chance to be in Venice for Carnival, you can’t miss their fritters, they are probably the best in the whole city.

Address: Calle S. Pantalon, 3764, 30123 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Rosa Salva

Rosa Salva is probably the oldest patisserie in Venice, in fact, it has been open since 1870 and it is an institution among Venetians. Unlike Pasticceria Tonolo, its ambiance is more elegant and classy, but with a touch of modernity. If you can’t make it for breakfast, try visiting for lunch for one of their yummy savory dishes, or after lunch for a sweet coffee break!

Pasticceria Rosa Salva has two shops in Venice – the closest one to us is in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo. You can reach it in less than 20 minutes from our hotel.

Address: Calle Fiubera e Mercerie, 950, 30124 or Calle Giazzo, 6779, 30122 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Nobile

Another patisserie in Cannaregio district that you should have breakfast in is Pasticceria Nobile, only 1 minute from our hotel. Besides all the classics, such as croissants, krapfens, and shortcrust pastries, here we suggest trying the traditional Pan del Doge, a sweet pastry usually filled with dried fruit. Nowadays, you can find the Pan del Doge with chocolate or jam too.

Address: Cannaregio, 1818, 30121 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Dal Mas

If you’re arriving in Venice by train, you’ll certainly notice this patisserie on your way to our hotel – in fact, it’s located only a couple of minutes from the Santa Lucia train station.

As soon as you get there, you’ll see there are two entrances: which one should you choose? It depends on what you are after – one gets leads you to a chocolate paradise, the other one is to breakfast heaven. In fact, Pasticceria dal Mas is not just a simple patisserie, but also a chocolate shop.

Address: Rio Terà Lista di Spagna, 149, 30121 Venice

Breakfast in Venice: Pasticceria Ballarin

Last but not least, Pasticceria Ballarin is definitely another place to have a tasty breakfast in Venice. The only thing here is that it’s located in such a crowded street near Rialto Bridge that you probably won’t notice it.

There’s no room to sit here, exactly as all patisseries were in the past, so be patient and queue up at the counter, but once there don’t miss to try one of its cakes, they are fabulous!

Address: San Giovanni Grisostomo, 5794, 30121 Venice

If you’d like to know how Murano glass is made, visiting a glass factory is the best way to do it. As you probably know, the art of blowing glass dates back thousands of years, Venetians are still so proud of it – and so are we. It’s not by chance that we placed an original Murano glass sink in every bathroom of our hotel rooms, and that a giant Murano glass chandelier is hanging from the ceiling of our breakfast room.

We deeply love and respect this ancient and unique art, and we do our best to defend real Murano glass from imitations every day.

Let’s see why visiting a glass factory in Venice (precisely on Murano island) will be worth your time, and it will probably become something you’ll remember forever.

Attend a glassblowing demonstration

Visiting a glass factory on Murano island is not just something you must do once in Venice – it’s your chance to attend a glassblowing demonstration to see with your own eyes how Murano glass has been made for centuries, and how it’s still made today.

Moreover, booking a tour of a glass factory in Murano will give you the chance to see how a glass factory works, learning all the phases that involve the creation of a real Murano glass piece of art.

Learn about the history of glassblowing art

As we said, the art of glassblowing dates back centuries and, to be precise, there is evidence that Venetians have started working with glass since the 7th century, even though they became known for it only around the 12th century.

Originally, glass factories were also located in Venice, but then in 1291, they were all moved to Murano for security reasons to avoid any risk of fires.

Attending a visit to a glass factory you’ll learn many other curiosities and stories about how Venetians became known for their glassblowing skills – for example, did you know that Murano glass masters were the only category of people who could marry a noblewoman, even if they weren’t part of the Venetian aristocracy? That’s a true story!

Have the chance to buy an original Murano glass artwork where it’s made

Nowadays, you can buy Murano glass artworks even on the Internet, but could you compare it with buying a Murano glass piece of art directly in the place where it was made? It’s like taking an authentic piece of Venice history home with you, that nobody can ever have because it’s one of a kind. No piece is like another – you’ll find out when you visit the Murano Glass Museum, and the uniqueness of each artwork is the real added value to your souvenir.

See something you won’t see anywhere else in the world

It’s not a secret that you won’t see anything like this anywhere else in the world. Visiting a glass factory like the ones on Murano island is a thing you can only do here in Venice, and that will leave something special in your heart.

So if you’re planning to attend a Venice island tour, make sure that it includes a visit to a glass factory and if not, don’t hesitate to ask us for info, we will be happy to suggest where to go and which factory visit to live the best experience ever.

The Venice Film Festival is one of the most awaited events of the year in the Venetian Lagoon. This year marks its 76th edition, always organized by La Biennale di Venezia, on Lido Island.
As usual, the Venice Film Festival takes place between the end of August and the beginning of September – this year, the exact dates will be August 28th to September 7th.
Venice is a city of art, where many movies have taken place, and it’s not by chance that this important event takes place on one of its islands.
The aim of the festival is promoting international cinema in all its forms through a spirit of freedom and dialogue, in order to support awareness of this art.

Every year, many of our guests come to Venice to participate to the Film Festival, this is why we decided to collect all the information about it in this article, giving a complete answer to the three most frequent questions we usually receive.

Where does the Venice film festival take place?

As we said, the Venice Film Festival is held on Lido island. Specifically, it takes place at the Palazzo del Cinema on Lungomare Marconi, built in 1937 for the fifth edition of the Festival. The building is composed of four main rooms: Sala Grande, Sala Darsena, Sala Zorzi and Sala Pasinetti.
The Sala Grande is where the main screenings and awards ceremonies of the Festival take place, the Sala Darsena is one of the newest and it is equipped with the most modern screening and audio technologies.

Where can I buy a ticket for the Venice Film Festival?

Usually, the price of the tickets and the tickets themselves are available online from August onwards, and you can buy yours directly from the Biennale official website.

How to get to the Venice Film Festival from our hotel

The only way to reach the Venice Film festival from our hotel is by boat, but you have several options to choose from.
If you’re not in a hurry and you would like to see the most beautiful palace facing the Grand Canal while going to the festival, you can take vaporetto line 1 from the Venice Casino stop.
If you want to get to Lido island as fast as possible, we suggest taking line 5.1 from the Guglie stop, which is only 2 minutes away from our hotel. Otherwise, you can ask us to call a taxi for you.

The Doge’s Palace is one of the must-see attractions in Venice. This palace used to be the home of the Doge in charge, and the headquarters of the Venetian government.

Originally, it was built as a medieval castle, with the usual four towers and high walls, but as the years passed by the architecture of the palace changed, not only because of a fire which destroyed the most of it, but also because of the political structure Venice adopted with Doge Ziani, a revolutionary and visionary man, who guided the Serenissima Republic between 1172 and 1178.

Nowadays, the Doge’s Palace is an incredible example of the precious Venetian Gothic style, and a treasure chest full of history and hidden rooms.
There are two ways to visit the Doge’s Palace – the classic one and the ‘secret’ one, which can both be purchased with the Venice city pass.
The regular tour takes you through the most important rooms in the palace, such as the Grand Council chamber, one of the widest rooms in whole of Europe, which used to house the first phase of the Doge’s election. You can also visit the Doge’s apartments and the Prison building, connected to the palace by the world-famous Bridge of Sighs.

The secret itinerary, instead, focuses on the administration offices and many other rooms you won’t see by attending the regular tour, including the old prisons, and the torture rooms.

The secret itinerary tour of the Doge’s Palace in Venice

The itinerary begins in the courtyard where, through a narrow door, you’ll step into a world that tells stories of detention and death – the so-called Pozzi (Wells).
They have this name because of their underground position, beneath the Doge’s Palace. They were built in stone and covered with wood, to make them appear like real coffins.
These cells were reserved for those who committed the worst crimes, that’s also why the conditions of detention were so terrible, and the writings on the walls are so desperate and talk about freedom.
The itinerary continues upstairs, through a small stair which takes you to the Ducal Notary room, and the chamber of the Deputato alla Segreta of the Council of Ten. These two rooms are small and hidden, you can’t even tell they exist when you look at the Doge’s Palace from the outside.
Continuing with the tour, you’ll enter the Office of the Great Chancellor, the only public figure elected by the Great Council, and then the Chamber of the Secret Chancellery where many public and secret documents are still stored.
Passing through the office of the Chancellor Regent, you’ll head to the room of torture, where the hard rope punishment was performed.
At the beginning of our virtual tour we visited the prisons underneath the Doge’s Palace, now it’s time to see those above, the so-called Piombi (leads) because of their location, right under the lead roof of the building, where Giacomo Casanova was imprisoned.

Conditions here were much better than those in the Pozzi. In fact, these cells were used only for prisoners accused of political crimes, and those who were waiting for a sentence.
You are also going to see the attic, where many weapons are preserved, as well as the Chamber of Inquisitor and the Chamber of the Three Head Magistrates, with a secret passage connecting it to the Chamber of the Council of Ten.

At the end of the tour, you can also visit the rest of the Doge’s Palace by yourself, discovering all its most fascinating and important rooms.
We warmly recommend this tour, because it’s a new and unique way to know about Venice and its political organization.
If you’re taking this tour in the morning, let us give you another tip for the afternoon: a self-guided walking tour in the Dorsoduro district to discover the ancient art of gondola making.

Everyone knows that visiting Venice in August means finding sunny weather almost every day, but this isn’t the only thing our customers want to know when they are coming to the city in summer.
In this article, we have collected the most frequent questions about experiencing Venice in August that you might want to get an answer to, in order to plan your vacation here with no stress.
Anyway, if you need us to answer other questions about visiting Venice in summer, feel free to write us an email, or contact us through our Facebook page.

What’s Venice like in August?

Venice in August is crowded and hot, we can’t lie about this point, but this shouldn’t be good a reason to postpone your trip. There are a lot of things you can do in Venice (and outside Venice) in this month – for example, you can take advantage of the perfect weather to go to the Lido beach and have a refreshing swim.
Lido is an island you can easily reach with a vaporetto, where Venetians usually spend their summer if they have no other plans.
If it’s too hot for you, you might consider the idea of a day trip from Venice to the Dolomites, to breathe some fresh air and come back to the city for dinner.

How busy is Venice in August?

It will be busy enough, if we may say so, but you can avoid the majority of the queues booking your visits in advance, thanks to the Venice City Pass. This is especially recommended for the most famous attractions such the Doge’s Palace, a boat tour to the Venice islands, and the St. Mark’s Basilica.
Moreover, Venice is a city full of hidden gems, which means that you’ll always find a place that other people can’t immediately reach, especially without our guide about how to get around Venice easily.

Does Venice flood in August?

No, Venice doesn’t flood in August. The high-tide season is winter, precisely between November and February. So, no rain boots are required if you come to Venice in August, just a pair of flip-flops.
However, if you want to know more about the Venice high tide, we have written a whole article about this unique event that affects the city every year, that you can read here.

Will you find mosquitoes in Venice in August?

You might be surprised about the answer, since it’s difficult to find mosquitoes in Venice during the summer, despite what people think. Being built on a lagoon, Venice should be full of mosquitoes, but the truth is that Mestre, on the mainland, has actually more.
We can assure you will sleep peacefully in our hotel rooms, which are all equipped with air conditioning.

What are the main events in Venice in August?

There’s one event in particular that you shouldn’t miss in Venice in August: the Film Festival!
It usually starts the last couple of days of the month, and ends on the first week of September.
This event is a must for all those who love movies and dream about walking on the red carpet for once in their lifetime.
Besides, Venice has always been a city where many movies have been filmed, such as The Tourist or Casino Royal.

Venice is always worth visiting, even in August, when the weather is surely hot but the days are longer… isn’t it true?

There are many different walking tours of Venice available online, but just a few of them are dedicated to the Dorsoduro district.
We have already written an article about a self-guided walking tour in Venice, around Cannaregio district which is where our hotel is located, that you can easily print out and take with you on vacation. This time, we would like to focus on Dorsoduro, which is mainly known for being the university district of Venice.
Thanks to this virtual tour you’ll see how many curious things you can find and see in Dorsoduro, in addition to the beautiful Ca’ Foscari palazzo, the headquarters of the Venetian University, not far from the famous Frari Church, the starting point of our walking tour.

Frari Church

The Frari Church is certainly one of the top 5 churches to visit in Venice, not only because it’s an excellent example of Gothic style, but because of what it houses inside.
In fact, one of the best-known attractions is the unique monument dedicated to Canova, a marble pyramid based on the design the sculptor made for Tiziano’s tomb.
Talking about Tiziano, the painter, you can’t miss the Assumption of the Virgin, one of his most beautiful paintings, which is inside the Frari Church too.

Campo Santa Margherita

Leaving the Frari Church behind you, follow the indications on Google Maps until you reach Campo Santa Margherita. This campo is one of the biggest in Venice and it’s where Venetians usually stop by for aperitivo .
Crossing the well-known Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists) you’ll get into Campo San Barnaba, where a scene of the Indiana Jones and the last Crusade was shot (one of the movies filmed in Venice you should see).

Ca’ Rezzonico Museum

Close to Campo San Barnaba, there’s one of the most beautiful palaces facing the Grand Canal, which is also one of the most interesting museums in Venice – Ca’ Rezzonico.
This public museum is dedicated to the 18th-century in Venice, and it is certainly worth visiting, not just for the paintings and the amazing furniture of its rooms, but also for its hidden garden and the spectacular view you have over the Grand Canal from its entrance facing the canal.
Let’s go back to Campo San Barnaba and take the sotoportego (covered walkway) on the other side of the square to reach our next stop, a place you can’t see anywhere else in the world!

San Trovaso and Tramontin Squeros

The Venetian word “squero” refers to the place where gondolas are built. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places like this anymore – however, in this district you can find the oldest ones in Venice, San Trovaso and Tramontin.
The former is the oldest, since it’s even mentioned by Goldoni in one of its writings, and the latter has been open since 1884.
Actually, there’s another squero on Giudecca Island, run by Gianfranco Vianello called Crea, who won the Historical Regatta many times.
Visiting these place will be like going back in time when everyone in Venice had at least a gondola, just like we have at least a car in our garage.
Building a gondola is an art that you can’t explain, you need to see it with your own eyes to understand the complexity of its shape. But in the meantime, you can find out all the secrets behind a gondola, on our blog.

Accademia Gallery and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Followingh our walking tour in Venice Dorsoduro, in only four minutes you can reach the Accademia Gallery, standing in front of the Accademia Bridge, where a countless number of Venetian paintings are exhibited.
If you decide to visit it, consider spending at least a couple of hours there since it’s really something that deserves to be seen with no rush to be entirely appreciated.
Not far from the Accademia Gallery there’s another famous museum you might want to see, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
If you’re planning to come to Venice in summer, you’ll have the chance to participate to the traditional aperitivo that the museum organizes every year.
The event is called HappySpritz@Guggenheim, it will be an occasion to taste the traditional Venetian aperitif surrounded by art.

Venice has a lot to offer, especially in terms of art and architecture.espite all the must-see attractions, there are also some hidden sights you won’t find if you don’t know where to look!
If it’s known that Venice is always worth a visit, it will be even more worthy after you find out these 5 hidden gems we are about to share with you!
So, pack your guidebook away, and follow our instructions to step into the secret Venetian world.

1. Venice and its secret gardens

It might seem impossible, but Venice is full of secret gardens. You can’t see them, but they actually exist and usually are behind high walls or inside private buildings. This is why we wrote an entire blog post about secret gardens in Venice that you can read and print out, so you can have your personal Venetian secret gardens guide while you’re here.
Secret gardens and one of the most beautiful hidden Venice gems we suggest not missing during your stay, especially because there’s one of them not far from our hotel and it’s also public – we are talking about Giardini Savorgnan.
This garden, which in fact looks more like a park, is just 4 minutes walk from our hotel on the way to the train station. Once in Campo San Geremia, you’ll find the way in.

2. Cannaregio district: a place to get lost

Cannaregio is a Sestiere (district) where many hidden Venice gems are located, and we are not saying that only because our hotel is situated in this area, too.
There are at least four sights you won’t expect to find in Cannaregio, but we won’t tell you more since you can easily discover all of them by reading this article we wrote.
Do you know what the best part is? You can even plan a whole itinerary around Cannaregio, we assure you that a day won’t be enough to see everything there’s to see but to make your life easier we prepared a self-guided 1-day itinerary you can use to get the most out of this sestiere.

3. Feel like reading? You can do it on a book staircase!

There’s a nice place where you can find rare books: a unique bookshop called Acqua Alta (High Water). There are two reasons why this bookshop is so famous (but hard to find), the first one is that it is the only bookshop in town with a gondola inside (full of books, can you imagine it?), and the second one is that there’s a real book staircase built inside the small rear courtyard.
Do you know why this hidden Venice gem is called Acqua Alta? Let’s discover why here!

4. Find the face that is watching you, from above

No one usually notices her, but she’s there, scrutinizing each person passing through Fondamenta della Donna Onesta.
She’s a face, the face of a girl with a story to tell. Tradition wants that the white mask you see popping out of the wall in Fondamenta della Donna Onesta represents the face of a young and beautiful woman, married to a sword maker. The legend tells us that she was so beautiful and kind that a nobleman secretly fell in love with her, and to have the excuse to see her, he ordered her husband to make a new sword for him. When the sword was ready, the young nobleman came to the shop to collect it, and to declare his love for the girl.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as he expected. In fact, she was so faithful to her husband that she kindly refused his proposal. The nobleman wasn’t used to receiving “no” as an answer, and he was so possessive that if he couldn’t have her, nobody could and so he killed her with that new sword he was about to buy.
It’s a really sad story, but to remember her honest gesture the street where the sword shop was located, was called Fondamenta della Donna Onesta, which means “honest woman’s street”.

5. How long is a Venetian step?

Did you know that Venetians had their own unit of measurement? It’s the so-called “passo veneziano” (Venetian step) which was the way Venetians used to measure things in the past.
One Venetian step is about 1,738 meters long, and five feet (0,347 meters) make a step.
At the Arsenale, there’s still a representation of the Venetian step on the left wall after the entrance, close to the caretaker’s office.

So, are you ready now to start a trip to discover all these hidden Venice gems?

On paintings, Venice is always represented as a young, beautiful woman, and tradition wants her to be married with the sea. In fact, among the numerous festivals Venice has during the year, there’s a specific event recalling this marriage – the Festa della Sensa, also known as The Marriage of the Sea.

We mentioned the Festa della Sensa in our blog post about all the Venice events you can’t miss, but to find out more about this important celebration, we need to dig a little bit more into its history, starting with the meaning of its name.

What does Festa della Sensa mean?

In Venetian dialect, the word “Sensa” means Assumption. In fact, the festival takes place on the day of Jesus’s Assumption, which is always 40 days after Easter.

In the past, the celebration commemorated two important events for the Republic of Venice – the positive intervention of Doge Pietro II Orseolo against Slavs, who were threatening Dalmatian people, and the signing of the Treaty of Venice by Doge Sebastiano Ziani, Pope Alexander III, and the Holy Roman Emperor, and Frederick Barbarossa.

How does the marriage of the sea work?

The Marriage of the Sea ceremony is performed every year in the Venetian lagoon, even if the Serenissima Republic doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a ritual Venetians really love because the relationship between the city and sea is eternal – after all Venice is built on water, isn’t it?

But let’s see how this celebration works: the Doge in charge had to drop a consecrated ring into the sea, while pronouncing a phrase in Latin, which was “Desponsamus te, mare, in signum veri perpetuique domini” (“We wed thee, sea, as a sign of true and everlasting domination”[3]). In this way, Venice was officially consecrated to the sea, becoming one with it.

The programme of the Sensa Festival in Venice

The programme for the Sensa Festival takes place over two days – the 1st and the 2nd of June.
On June 1st, celebrations take place 5 pm at the Doge’s Palace, but only upon invitation. Inside the Sala dello Scrutinio, the twinning ceremony with the Adriatic Cities of Croatia will be celebrated, together with the award ceremony for the ‘Osella d’oro della Sensa 2019′. (The Osella is a precious coin given to institutions, private and public associations that have increased the prestige of Venice).

On the next day, June 2nd, at 9am, boats will start gathering in St. Mark’s Basin to proceed towards S. Nicolò di Lido at 9.30. At 10.30 am there’ll be the Marriage of the Sea ceremony and at 11 am a performance by the Coro Serenissima will take place in front of the Church of San Nicolò at the Lido.

To conclude the day, a Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Church of San Nicolò at 11.30 am.
There’s one last thing we would like to share with you, a traditional Venetian expression related to this festival. In fact, there’s a saying that Venetians still use, “andar a la sensa”. This can be literally translated with “go to la Sensa” but it actually means “going slow”, because of the long queues Venetians had to do to reach St. Mark’s on the Assumption Day. Cool saying, isn’t it?

If you happen to be in Venice on the third Sunday of July, you’ll be lucky to attend one of the most important celebrations in the city: The Redentore Festival.

We have already talked about this event in a previous article, revealing the best places where watch the Redentore fireworks, and if you have read it you already know a bit of its history. But, this time we are going to dig deeper into the facts, discovering why this celebration is still so important for Venetians like the Madonna della Salute Festival, which is based on a similar event.

Where does the Redentore Festival come from?

To answer this question, we need to travel back to the second half of the sixteenth century, to the year 1575, when Venice was hit by a terrible plague.
Alvise Mocenigo was the Doge at the time, and we have to say that his time in office wasn’t so lucky, if we may say so. In fact, just a years before the plague, a fire destroyed part of the Doge’s Palace, and an extraordinary high tide flooded Venice. Not really a good time for Venetians and for the poor Doge Mocenigo, who had to deal with the unhappy population.
But no one can stop the plague, not even Alvise Mocenigo, who helped the Pope defeat the Turkish fleet at Lepanto, in 1573. The plague showed no mercy, causing about 50.000 deaths and putting Venice on its knees, begging for the Lord’s salvation.
And so it was. The Doge, together with his Council, decided that if the plague left the city, a church would be built. And this is what happened. The Redentore church was built in 1576, a year after the epidemic was defeated.

From that year on, Venetians remember this event with a pilgrimage to the church through a bridge made of boats which is built for the occasion, and an amazing fireworks display above St. Mark’s basin.

The programme for the Redentore Feast Day

If the Festival of the Most Holy Redeemer is on Sunday, the pilgrimage starts the day before, together with the fireworks display.
The appointments to attend on Sunday are three:

• At 4 pm Regatta of “pupparini” boats with two oars (just for young people)
• At 4.45 pm, Regatta of “pupparini” boats with two oars
• At 5.30 pm, Regatta of gondolas with 2 oars

To finish the day, at 7 pm a Mass is celebrated inside the Redentore Church.

We are sure you already heard something about the Redentore Festival in Venice and its fabulous fireworks, but now you also know about its history, after reading this article.

We hope we gave you some information you didn’t know about this incredible day in Venice, the only day during the year when St. Mark’s basin is full of Venetian boats, decorated for the occasion and full of people who want to have a good time and celebrate this long-running festival.

As you may know, many regattas take place in Venice during the year, and the Vogalonga is one of them. You’ve probably heard or read something about the most ancient and famous one of them all, the Historical Regatta, but we assure you that the Vogalonga also has a nice backstory.
To know more about its origins, we need to travel back in time to 1974, when a group of passionate Venetian rowers organized a small, friendly regatta on “mascareta” boats (a traditional light Venetian boat). Venetian people appreciated that initiative so much, that it became a regular appointment for all the enthusiasts of Venetian rowing.
Actually, the main reason why this event became so popular is tied to the desire of Venetians to maintain ancient Venetian traditions alive and fight against the decline of the city, due to the waves caused by the motorboats.

Venetians aren’t the only ones who attend the race. Since the very first time the Vogalonga took place, many people from Chiogga, Caorle, Padua, Treviso, and other cities came to Venice to be part of this incredible event.
Numerous boats reached St. Mark’s basin on May 8, 1975, ready to start the race and give a strong message to the government. Venetians were ready to fight for their city, with unusual weapons – their oars.

What does “Vogalonga” mean and why is it the name of the race?

“Vogalonga” is a term that comes from Venetian dialect, and it’s composed of two words – “Voga” and “longa”, where the former means “rowing” and the latter means “long”. We can translate the word with “long rowing race”, as participants have to row for 30km, between canals and islands.
We said it’s a non-competitive race, but we didn’t say it isn’t hard!
The Vogalonga rowing race is more recent than the Historical Regatta, but the main purpose here is having fun celebrating the ancient Venetian rowing style, living the city among locals.

All you need to know about the Venice Vogalonga 2019

The race starts in St. Mark’s Basin, just like the very first time Vogalonga took place in Venice.
Then, the itinerary touches some of the lesser-known Venetian islands such as Vignole, San Francesco del Deserto, and Sant’Erasmo.
Burano and Murano islands are the next ones to be reached, then the race finishes crossing the Grand Canal, with all its beautiful mansions on both sides.

This year the Vogalona will take place on May, the 19th, you find all info on the official website of the race, where you also find out how to sign up.

We just have a question for you: can you row like a Venetian? Go then, and experience one of the Venice events locals are most passionate about!

Venice is full of unique shopping opportunities, but only if you know where to go.
We’ve already talked about where to go shopping in Venice, but that was more of a general guide, this is why we are would like this post to focus on a specific kind of shopping – vintage shopping.
Everyone knows that Venice is a paradise for those who love fashion, but most people do n’t know that this is not just a place for masks and expensive clothes or accessories, but also for something truly unique.
Let’s find out where to go vintage shopping in Venice through the list of shops we selected for you.

L’armadio di Coco

Campo Santa Maria Nova and Campo Santa Maria del Giglio

The name of this tiny shop translated into English sounds like “Coco’s closet”, and once you’re inside, you can tell that is like being inside a splendid vintage wardrobe.
It’s an authentic Venetian family business, run by Arianna and her daughter. Both of them are passionate about vintage, and they never stop traveling around the world searching for new items, bags, and clothes from the past.
At the moment, they have two shops in Venice, one in Campo Santa Maria Nova and another one in Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, but the latter is more about luxury vintage products than the former.

Libreria Miracoli di Vascon Claudio

Campo Santa Maria Nova

This place is magical and smells of paper and cardboard. If you love old postcards, books, and prints, this is the right place to do some vintage shopping, not fashion but history related.
You’ll find yourself stopping by boxes full of ancient things you couldn’t imagine, that Claudio positions outside the bookshop every day, in Campo Santa Maria Nova. His shop is like a magnet, and you can’t fight against it, you’ll have to explore inside eventually!

La Stanza delle Sorprese

Near Campo Sant’Angelo

“The Surprise Room” is the next shop in the list, and Rossella, the owner, gave it this name for a very specific reason… In fact, in this shop, you can find pretty much anything you can imagine, from a 19th-century lamp to typical Italian Ceramics – and no doubt, you’ll be surprised!
Since it’s located on the way between to St. Mark’s Square, it’s usually crowded, but it is definitely worth a visit.

Bisnonni

Campo Santa Maria Mater Domini

Another place we recommend for vintage shopping in Venice is Bisnonni, a shop situated in Campo Santa Maria Mater Domini, not far from Rialto Bridge (just a gondola-ride away from our hotel).
It’s a vintage fashion shop, where you can buy any kind of clothes you need, moreover, it’s larger than those we’ve presented before, so you can spend inside as much time as you want (and need) without having to worry about crowds.

Paolo Olbi

3253/A, Dorsoduro, Venezia

To conclude our virtual tour of Venice vintage shops, we would like you to come into Paolo Olbi’s shop to discover a world of paper and leather.
Paolo and his team produce gift articles in leather and marmorized paper. If you have to buy a souvenir for someone who’s passionate about handcrafted creations, like clipboards, phone books, photo albums or photo frames, this is the place to go.
Paolo Olbi is an institution in Venice, his shop has been open since 1962 and everything he sells is unique. Can you tell how precious a gift like this would be?

Now that you know where to go vintage shopping in Venice, have you decided where to head to first?

Did you know that there’s a flea market in Venice? Most people don’t, except for Venetians of course, but it’s something that you need to see if you come to the city when it’s open.
We are talking about the San Maurizio flea market, located in the “campo” (small square) of the same name, on the way to St. Mark’s Square, not far from the Accademia bridge.
The campo where the flea market takes place is famous because that’s where you’ll find Carlo Goldoni’s house – the well-known Venetian comedy writer, who lived here from 1803 to 1804 – and Palazzo Zaguri, a magnificent building that usually hosts interesting and unique exhibitions.

What to buy at the San Maurizio flea Market?

To be honest, it will be hard not to find something to buy here. At the San Maurizio Flea Market, you’ll find old books, prints, unique pieces of furniture and paintings from the period between the 17th and 20th centuries.
You’ll be surprised to see how many unusual things you can buy here, especially if you’re looking for a souvenir to take home, or you’re just in the mood for some vintage shopping.
The pity is that the San Maurizio Flea Market happens to be open just five times a year, so you’ll be lucky if you get the chance to see it during your holidays in Venice.
The market was created in 1970, and since then it has always been organized in the exact same way until today. It’s a tradition that every seller from the whole country respects and protects.
Getting lost among the stands is part of the game. Take a couple of hours to experience this incredible moment for the city and live the real Venice, made of people who love their hometown.

When does the San Maurizio Flea Market take place?

To find out when the market will be open, you can visit the official San Maurizio Flea Market website .

Venice Carnival wasn’t always like the one we are used to today. In fact, Carnival time in Venice was longer and the mood was different, and the Venetian carnival masks were fewer than those we see today among the streets.
We have already talked about the history of the Venetian Carnival, but we have never faced the topic of the masks.
As you know, Venice Carnival was the only time when the lower and upper classes mingled together, hiding behind the same costumes and masks. But what are the traditional Venice Carnival masks? Let’s find out more about them in this article.

The traditional Venetian Carnival Mask: La Bauta

The so-called Bauta is the only true Venetian mask found at the Carnival. It’s quite a simple mask actually, completely different from those you can buy from shops in Venice. In fact, the Bauta has no feather, no colors, and no particular shape.
This unique mask is always white and can cover up your whole face – its purpose was just hiding people’s faces, to make everyone look the same.
Carnival was a period of parties and amusement, of course, but it was also a moment of equality, that’s why everyone used to wear the same masks.
To complete the Venice Carnival costume that includes the Bauta, you should also wear the so-called tabarro, a warm and heavy black cloak Venetians used to wear every day to protect themselves from the cold winter.

The second traditional Venetian Carnival Mask: La Moretta

The Moretta mask is an intriguing one, and only women could wear it. It’s a simple mask too, in term of shape, but it’s black and not white.
Its peculiarity is hidden behind the mask itself, in order to wear it, women had to hold a button between their teeth. This makes the person behind the Moretta mask even more mysterious because she (or maybe he?) couldn’t speak without taking it off.
Venetian men loved this mask, probably because their romantic affairs became more challenging, without knowing who they were talking to. Or perhaps there was another reason… maybe Venetians women used to talk too much?

The Plague Doctor’s mask? This is why isn’t a traditional Venice Carnival mask

Even though this mask is very famous around the world, it isn’t a traditional Venice Carnival mask and we’ll tell you why. You might know that Venice struggled with plague for years in the past, but despite the great medical knowledge Venetians had, they didn’t know how to defeat this epidemic. The only thing they knew was how the infection worked, this why they invented the Plague Doctor’s mask.
The long beak on the mask was filled with aromatic herbs, to protect the doctor form the airborne disease. At this point, you might want to know more about how Venetians faced the plague problem, so we suggest reading our articles about the Festa-day of Madonna della Salute and the Redentore Feast.
By the way, as you see, this mask has nothing to do with Venice Carnival, but it’s definitely one of the most peculiar and fascinating masks of the Venetian history.