Stories Collected While Living in France

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Everything You Wanted to Know About the Carnival in Venice

carnival Venice

Thank you for your appreciation for my photos of the carnival in Venice.

I enjoyed every frozen moment taken them.

My only regret is that I did not take more.


 

 

 

 

Carnival venice gondola

 

When is the next carnival in Venice?

 

"The Venetian Carnival runs up until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (known as “Mardi Gras”), starting two Saturdays before the Tuesday. Venice carnival dates therefore vary in step with Easter as follows:

Carnival 2012: February 11 – February 21
Carnival 2013: February 2 – February 12
Carnival 2014: February 22 – March 4
Carnival 2015: February 7 – February 17
Carnival 2016: January 30 – February 9"

 

 

 

Venice carnival feather hat

 

Feathered Head Dress.

Stunning! Over three feet wide.

 

 

 

 

Feather turban venice

 

 

Isn't this costume amazing?

Of course the young man isn't too bad himself.

 

 

 

head piece venice

 

 

Can you tell I was awestrucked?

 

 

 

Metallic mask and collar venice

 

Metallic mask and collar.

Imagination is not short at the carnival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venice 2012 carnival

 

 

Troupes creatively celebrating the carnival with old style mask and costumes.

 

 

 

 

Details in gold thread venice

 

 

The intricate, ornate details of the Venetian costumes were magnificent.

 

 

 

Passage in front of Cafe Florian

 

 

Most of the carnival happens outside around San Marco Square.

I especially liked the area around Cafe Florian because of the floor, the facade and the arcades which gave a perfect venue for photographing the costumes.

 

 

 

Eighteen century style Venice

 

 

Don't you just love the way his hand is on his hip?

Yes this was a guy.

That was part of the beauty of the carnival. Anyone could be anyone or more so themselves as they wished to be. I loved the men at the Venetian carnival– they instantly took me back to another period of time, where men could wear lace, ribbons, pink, over sized hats with feathers, jewels…. what our generation thinks as too feminine… and why?

 

 

 

Extreme textile detailing

 

Not your everyday tee shirt and jean kinda guy.

 

 

 

 

 

The queen and her jesters venice

 

The Queen and her court of jesters.

 

 

 

 

Costumes in venice

 

I wonder how long it took him to make his outfit? And how he came up with it?

 

 

 

Costume detail carnival venice

This man was about seventy years old.

His wore knickers, with fantastic bows at his knees!

His clothes wear vintage.

Love at first sight.

Dang those vintage things get me evey time!

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe Florian at Carnival

 

Inside of Cafe Florian.

 

 

 

 

 

Venice, cafe florian

 

The English Duchess inside of Cafe Florian.

 

 

 

 

 

18th century style Cafe Florian Venice

 

Powdered faces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe florian venice carnival 2012

 

It is a tradition to go to Cafe Florian at night in costume after the carnival fanfare of the day.

Many onlookers look through the large windows, it felt like I was watching history come alive.

More than a movie set.

Better than going inside and having a chocolate!

Cafe Florain was established in 1720, and is a contender for the title of the oldest coffee house in continuous operation.

 

 

 

 

 

Carnival venice cafe florian

 

Beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carnival fanfare venice

Colorful.

 

 

 

 

 

Venice carnival at any age

 

Traditional.

 

 

 

 

Venice carnival details

 

Masterful!

 

 

 

 

Venetian textile detail

 

Intricate.

 

 

 

 

Walking in venice

 

You must go!!

 

If you have any questions regarding the carnival please ask in the comment section, and I will do my best to respond to them in the comment section.

 

Notes:

 

Carnival History

 

Hotel Rio, steps away from San Marco, sixty Euros a night.

 

Inexpensive Hotels near San Marco Square.

Comments

25 responses to “Everything You Wanted to Know About the Carnival in Venice”

  1. Cindy

    hi corey!! your pictures are amazing!!! i’ve been to venice before but not during carnival.. this looks absolutely magical!! 🙂 are prices for hotels and restaurants exorbitant at that time??

    Reply
  2. Chris Wittmann

    I’m afraid I’ll have to visit the carnival through your photos only! I’ve enjoyed every one of them…real eye candy…thanks so much!

    Reply
  3. Alan from Chicago

    Thank you Corey for your beautiful pictures and stories of the Venetian Carnival. They are very much appreciated.

    Reply
  4. Kathleen in Oregon

    Someone here looks familiar. Except she hasn’t mentioned carnival on her blog…
    Little Red Riding Hood is my favorite, very sweet.

    Reply
  5. ann

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, I have so enjoyed your photos of the costumes, I never thought they would be so beautiful. I love lace and textiles and they are truly a feast for the eyes. I am already planning (in my mind) a visit for 2013. I have been to Venice before but always avoided Carnival, now I am hoping to see it for real. The green costume with yellow roses around his hat is one of my favourites, and the worried looking “pink man” etc, etc, etc, although each one is a work of art.

    Reply
  6. momof5

    Wow! Absolutely stunning photography. You do have a wonderful eye!

    Reply
  7. Georgie Steeds

    Thank you Corey for sharing it all with us, I thought that the carnival was all masked balls for the elite and happened at night and in private!!!! Well I for one am longing to go and see it all for myself. Perhaps all your reader could meet up in St Marks Square next year!!!

    Reply
  8. Marilyn

    Now I thought Cafe Florian was a tea house, I guess it is both tea and coffee. The costumes are astounding and gorgeous. I loved seeing everyone of them.

    Reply
  9. Jill Flory

    Wow. Amazing. And that guy in yellow with the black feathered head thing? Swoon. He’s dreamy!

    Reply
  10. Joanna

    These are just absolutely stunning. How is possible that the Venice carnival not a WORLD event???????? Like all eyes on Venice during this amazing, magical, fantastical time?
    Beards don’t go with carnival outfits on men. Lipsticks and rouge do on the other hand.

    Reply
  11. Theresa Cheek

    You got some fabulous shots! How you managed to crop out the mass of humanity is a feat in itself. I was in Cafe Florian last year for Carnevale….truly magical!

    Reply
  12. Sharon Stewart

    Corey, now this is award winning blogging! I want to see an epic movie of all this over and over.
    My words were going to be fantastical and magical, also.
    This is almost too much for the senses. You will be dizzy for weeks.
    Thank you, thank you.

    Reply
  13. pattyg

    Superb photos! Thank you for the outstanding journey. The fabrics, colors, and creativity of those amazing people come alive in your photos. And thank you for those links which I will be able to happily learn and explore more on this great tradition that I knew nothing of.
    So happy you had this fabulous experience and the gumption to share it with all of us. Such a treat and education!!!
    Best wishes,

    Reply
  14. Ann

    Thank you so much for taking us on a tour of Venice at Carnival time. What fun! Are you on overload from so much beauty? Do you need some time to ease back to “normal”…sleeping, cleaning, laundry, cooking etc. Earth to Corey….Earth to Corey 🙂

    Reply
  15. Helene

    Corey, I saw Venice Carnival slides taken by a professional costume designer some years ago that don’t hold a candle to what you have captured. Thank you so much for taking us with you on this marvelous trip.
    PS. The guy with the black feathers and green eyes was the icing.

    Reply
  16. Kathie B

    Did you and Merisi get to talk with any of these costumed folks? If so, what did they tell you about their regalia? About their “real” lives outside of Carnival?

    Reply
  17. Judith

    Amazing! Every photo is more beautiful than the last. The details, the decadence. I am in awe. Thank you for sharing such a special adventure!
    xoxo
    Judy

    Reply
  18. Kit

    Thanks for sharing all these gorgeous photos Corey. It’s like seeing my favorite Georgette Heyer novels come alive! And the amazing thing is you managed to get all these pictures without anyone in ordinary modern dress showing at all!
    I went to the carnival once long ago – my memories of it were mostly of the cold – we wore impromptu rustled up costumes that weren’t in the least grand and not warm either. I remember it being very hard to photograph the grand costumes without getting several other photographers in the frame! And spending most of the time diving into bars with fogged up windows to get warm again!

    Reply
  19. Linda

    Loved the photos. I’d really love to go one year. What is the best day to go?

    Reply
  20. Irina

    I just have one more wish to ask the God. Give me a chance to visit Venice during the Carnival!
    Thank you, thank you Corey for your marvelous pictures!!
    xoxo

    Reply
  21. Nikki ~ Picnics in Provence

    Ok – Venice Carnivale definitely now on the bucket list. I knew it must be pretty special but had NO idea it was so fabulous until now Corey, thank you.

    Reply
  22. Kristin McNamara Freeman

    Corey – You have provided for me the most totally exquisite visit to Venice during Carnival. Now, it is a destination and specific time frame destination on my wish list. As a costumer for stage and movies for many years your photos of the details of construction and shape of the garments, the fabric choices, the trims, embroideries and fine work that went into the making of each costume, the make-up details….all brought me back to those many, many years of hard work and pure delight in seeing a sketchbook drawing come to life on the human form. Thank you, thank you for this pull back into the memory bank of my soul.

    Reply
  23. Brenda L. from TN.

    These are just wonderful! I have enjoyed this visual spectatular event soooooo much! Thank you for showing us this wonderful carnival…I must admit I have never heard of it. The question is WHY NOT? This is so much prettier than Rio.
    The costumes are fantastic! I LOVE the fabric, the trim, the lace, the feathers…oh yeah! the guy with the black feather headress is not too shabby! He is really really dreamy!
    I would love to have a shirt, jacket, vest or skirt made out of the materials. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR SHOWING US ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!

    Reply
  24. Brenda, Walker, LA, USA

    Just awesome, now I must see the Florian!

    Reply
  25. Jasper

    This is amazing! Every costume is absolutely impeccable, great post! I love the aesthetic of your blog.

    Reply

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