ENGLISH DAY
10-5 (Venice’s Carnival)
History Stand
Script
Good morning, be welcome to our carnival, is this your first time
coming? If so, please allow us to introduce you to the lavish, amazing
and picturesque heart of Venetia’s celebration of Craftsmanship and
legacy, Venice’s Carnival.
It was born during the 11th century, in paper, as a holiday to celebrate
before the start the Christian period of abstinence, but it served as a
means to allow Venice’s strict social system to dissolve for one day,
allowing anyone to stop being themselves, hide behind a mask and
evaporate the distinction between nobles and plebeians. For one
night, they were all just venetians.
Eventually, the Carnival reached its greatest splendor, turning into a
lavish show and celebration of venetian heritage. Venice became a
symbol of luxury, theater, art and freedom, with weeks' worth of
celebrations, dance and music. And from improvised comedy
popularized at the time, was born the source of inspiration for the
masks that, from then on, became the soul of the spectacle.
However, greatness fades, and what once stands tall, will always go
down. With the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, the carnival was
prohibited and censored, being seen as a possibility of getting
people’s spirits high inciting a revolution.
Thankfully though, The French went away and the greatest carnival in
the world came to life once again in 1979, with the support of our
beloved Italian government. And ever since, it is celebrated every
year with great international participation.
(Space for interactive activity)
And that’s it for now, we’re glad to have you here so please go ahead
and continue for the rest of the experience, so you can, even if just a
small part of it, live it in your own flesh and bones.
