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Venice Carnival: A tribute to women

Mysterious eyes: Eyes wide shut volto mask that doesn’t allow the wearer to easily breath, talk or drink

Ruth Setio Nastiti (The Jakarta Post)
Venice, Italy
Sat, March 19, 2011

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Venice Carnival:  A tribute to women

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span class="inline inline-left">Mysterious eyes: Eyes wide shut volto mask that doesn’t allow the wearer to easily breath, talk or drink.This year’s annual bacchanal in Venicenot only feted the 150th anniversary of Italy’s unity, but also paid tribute to famous 19th-century heroines of the post-romantic era.

Themed “Ottocento — da Senso a Sissi, la cità delle donne” (Nineteenth century — from Senso to Sissi, the city of women), the Venetian Carnival aimed to recreate the magic atmosphere that permeated the city during the first imperial period. It also celebrated the movie Senso (1954) — a masterpiece by Luchino Visconti-, and Princess Sissi, a 19th century icon of fashion, elegance and femininity.

Running from Feb. 26 to March 8 (Fat Tuesday and International Women’s Day), it started with around 45,000 revellers thronging the 400-square-kilometer mainland to congregate at the famous Piazza San Marco and along the Grand Canal.  

The Carnival, which was granted a Gala Award as one of the best events in the world in 2010, isrenowned for celebrating culture.

“This is the time where all the cultural institutions are involved. All the city’s museums, galleries and churches are opened to the public, concerts are performed in churches and theaters, with musicians from Italian conservatories and other countries joining in the festivities. This moment gives energy to the whole territory,” Davide Rampello, the artistic director of Venice Carnival, told the press.  

One theater-like grand foyer was built for the carnival at the north of the Piazza San Marco, sugared by a Grand Brindisi, a fountain spurting red wine instead of water.

People on the first day of the carnival were donned in their most elegant costumes matching their masks. The most iconic masks included the mouthless bauta, a plain white mask covering half or
three-quarters of the face, and usually worn with a black veil and or a cloak, and the volto (face), worn over the whole face with only holes in the eyes.  

Tourists usually cover their face with a columbina, a mask covering from the eyes to nose, furnished with feathers and glittering Venetian ornaments. The Columbina is usually sold in souvenir shops and costs between 5 and 15 euros.

Khan (31), a Bangladesh vendor who used to work in Singapore and spoke Indonesian, quipped: “This year we have more visitors, I can feel the heat”.

The energy could be felt from Piazza San Marco to Piazzetta (little Piazza), an extension in the south-east corner of the grand Piazza towards the lagoon.  

For a few hours, Venice became the most colorful and fashionable city, with one of the longest catwalks. Models teased the paparazzi into taking the very best shots of them.  

The wall of the Gothic Cathedral morphed into a studio where cover girls lined up in front of photographers. Alaa Badr, 17, a female student from Egypt who is currently studyingat the Collegio dell Mondo Unito dell’ Adriatico in Trieste, was amazed by the scenery unfurling around her.

“It’s just so beautiful. I haven’t seen such a spectacular panorama like this before.”

As the day turned to night, the colors in the streets softened, and a romantic atmosphere swept through the city, with street lights reflecting on the Adriatic Sea.

Thousands of people once again squeezed onto Piazza San Marco in the evening to watch a performance by Giuliano Palma and the Blues Beaters, an Italian pop- reggae band.

To be in Venice is a wonderful life, just like the band sang in their opening song, Wonderful Life.  

“Here I go. Out to the sea again. The sunshine fills my hair. And dreams hang in the air. Gulls in the sky.

And in my blue eyes. I know it feels unfair. There is magic everywhere.”

— Photo by Ruth Setio Nastiti

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