The carnival of Venice (or Carnevale di Venezia in Italian) was first recorded in 1268. The subversive nature of the festival is reflected in the many laws created over the centuries in Italy attempting to restrict celebrations and often banning the wearing of masks. Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian carnival; traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) at the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday.
Der Karneval in Venedig (ital. Carnevale di Venezia) hat eine sehr lange Tradition. Er wurde von Napoleon verboten und erst ca. 1980 in seiner jetzigen Form auf Betreiben des Tourismusgewerbes wiederbelebt. Er dauert genau 10 Tage, beginnt am Wochenende vor dem "normalen" Karneval und endet am Aschermittwoch. Jedes Jahr findet er unter einem bestimmten Motto statt.
