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The Carnival of Venice had remained a public festivity ever since its inception in 1296 when the Senate of the Republic of Venice decided to enact the extravaganza. It is worth highlighting that the festivity tracings dated back to 1094 when the nation joined forces to initiate public festivals that would come a long way in promoting harmonious relations. Notably, these public festivities were set to be established before Lent kicked in, which is why the festival was given a symbolic name that signified lent preparation. The festivity required associated members to desist from consuming meat at all costs, which would violate the high regards attached to the Easter holiday.

Despite the official inception of the festival in 1296, according to legend, the Carnival of Venice started following the military victory of the Venetian Republic over the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico di Treven in the year 1162. Remarkably, the Aquileia Patriarch had been captured, and his release was premised on the condition that he was to pay tribute to Venice on every Holy Thursday. Such high appraisal consisted of a bull and twelve pigs that were slaughtered in the presence of Venetians in Piazza San Marco to mark the ceremonious victory. In the honour of this victory, the people started to dance and gather in San Marco Square. Apparently, this festival started in that period and became official in the Renaissance. In the seventeenth century, the baroque carnival was a way to save the prestigious image of Venice in the world. It was very famous during the eighteenth century. It encouraged licence and pleasure, but it was also used to protect Venetians from present and future anguish. However, under the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor and later Emperor of Austria, Francis II, the festival was outlawed entirely in 1797 and the use of masks became strictly forbidden. It reappeared gradually in the nineteenth century, but only for short periods and above all for private feasts, where it became an occasion for artistic creations.

After a long absence, the Carnival returned in 1979. The Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice and sought to use the traditional Carnival as the centrepiece of its efforts. Thanks to commendable celebrations, the Venice Carnival became exceptionally famous worldwide in the 18^thcentury and a considerable tourist attraction. The redevelopment of the masks began as the pursuit of some Venetian college students for the tourist trade. Since then, approximately 3 million visitors come to Venice every year for the Carnival. The Carnival of Venice’s festivities lasted for half a year, which rendered Venice the center of gambling and eternal celebrations. With music and dancing remaining unstoppable for the better part of a year, Venice could be likened to modern-day Las Vegas, where parties never seem to come to an end. The Carnival of Venice followed in Romanian and Greek festivals’ footsteps, which came a long way in allowing the lower classes to have fun and devour parties. The Republic of Venice realized the glaring need to promote unity and bridge the gap between social classes to promote nationalization. One of the most important events is the contest for la maschera più bella ("the most beautiful mask") which is judged by a panel of international costume and fashion designers. Here are the winners:

• 2019 : I bambini della luce by Horst Raack, best traditional costume matrimonio all' Italiana by Borboni si Nasce, most original costume Paguri by Nicola Pignoli and Ilaria Cavalli
• 2018 : L'amore al tempo del campari by Paolo Brando
• 2017 : Il signore del bosco by Luigi di Como
• 2016 : I bagnanti di Senegalia by Anna and Lorenzo Marconi, best costume for the official theme I caretti siciliani by Salvatore Occhipinti and Gugliemo Miceli
• 2015 : Le stelle dell'amore by Horst Raack, best costume for the official theme La regina della cucina veneziana by Tanja Schulz-Hess, most creative costume Monsieur Sofa et Madame Cocoby Lorenzo Marconi
• 2014 : Una giornata in campagna by Horst Raack, and Radice Madre by Maria Roan di Villavera
• 2013 : Alla Ricerca del Tempo Perduto by Anna Marconi, most colourful costume Luna Park
• 2012 : Il servizio da thè del settecento (teatime) by Horst Raack, most creative costume Oceano by Jacqueline Spieweg
• 2011 : La famille Fabergé by Horst Raack, and Ommagio a Venezia by Paolo and Cinzia Pagliasso and Anna Rotonaia, best costume for the official theme 19th century by Lea Luongsoredju and Roudi Verbaanderd
• 2010 : Pantegane from England
• 2009 : The voyagers of Marco Polo by Horst Raack and Tanja Schulz-Hess
• 2008 : Luna park by Tanja Schulz-Hess
• 2007 : La Montgolfiera by Tanja Schulz-Hess

In February 2020, Veneto regional governor Luca Zaia announced the decision to call off Carnival in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus.

Celebration

The Carnival of Venice involves wearing masks by participants to conceal social statuses, even allowing citizens to express their sincere concerns about their government. Because of this great liberty, some participants used the opportunity to offset their ill-feelings towards their State. It is worth noting that the Republic of Venice had been imposing stringent regulations in the name of morality taxing on Venetians. Thus, there was a need to express their genuine opinions about this governance’s aristocratic-like nature, which demonstrates that such a regime was not appreciated. The festivities were also extended to private residences, whereby masked individuals would be deployed to entertain visitors and other viewers . Further, masked individuals were also allowed to perform in theatres, serving as an excellent entertainment option in Venice . Given the festivities’ exciting nature, businesses were less engaged as people diverted their undivided attention to the enticing celebrations. Appreciatively, Venice’s international recognition was inevitable, which rendered Venice the ultimate ‘magnet of Europe’ owing to incessant parties and celebrations.

The ban on masks and other prohibitions

In 1339, a ban was instituted on the masks incorporated by Venetian carnival attendees when it became palpable that people took advantage of the government’s generosity and engaged in illegal activities while disguised in masks. As mentioned earlier, people were allowed to wear masks to the Carnival of Venice to prevent social status domination and enhance everyone’s equality. However, the ability to wear disguises made people with ulterior motives to use such opportunities to engage in theft and robbery, resulting in considerable clamor from the public. In this regard, the Republic of Venice was forced to limit masks’ use to prevent such abuses and vandalism upon innocent Venetians and tourists. Inarguably, constant criminal offenses would eventually render Venice a black spot that would drive away tourists and cause locals to relocate. Consequently, this would also force international forces to intervene, which would then come a long way in denying the Republic of Venice maximum independence. Therefore, to avoid such encumbrances, the Venetian government deemed it a glaring necessity to amend laws prohibiting the wearing of masks to the festival. Notably, this was a meticulous move by the government because a contravention would result in dire consequences, as aforementioned. However, it is worth highlighting that the history of mask banning began in 1286 before the Carnival of Venice was officially launched. Typically, such vandalism mostly took place after sunset, whereby various attendees would develop more sinister plans that came a long way in breaching security measures. Therefore, the 1339 ban on masks mostly covered the prohibition of mask-wearing at night when the propensity to commit crimes was at its peak. On top of that, masks were forbidden in holy places to uphold the sanctity of religious arenas as sacred. Remarkably, before the ban on masks in holy places, various women could be seen to perform indecent acts in these places, which rendered religious sites disregarded. Additionally, people could hide illegal equipment in sacred areas as they would be least suspected of holding such items, which then further instigated the need to introduce these bans . Besides the ban on masks, the 15^th century was an era whereby further measures were introduced to avoid compromising security at Venice’s Carnival. Notably, there was a requirement that prohibited attendees of the festival from carrying dangerous items that could render criminal conduct practical. In light of this, various documentation was issued to support this prohibition and ensure that culprits are held liable for violating the law. During the 18^th century, when the Carnival of Venice’s festivities became international, another ban prohibited people from getting into casinos with masks and carnivore costumes. Appreciatively, this ban was instituted to assist creditors in avoiding incurring losses when their debtors could disguise themselves with masks and fail to pay the amounts they owed. Through this, peace and stability became more guaranteed in Venice, making it easier for visitors to get attracted to the country without trepidation. Notably, the ban on masks was lifted in 1979 when incidents of theft and other criminal offenses subsided, instigating the need to reinstate the original tradition of masks and costumes to the Carnival of Venice. Therefore, it is worth appreciating that the Venetian government has always been calculating enough to institute laws that favor the Republic of Venice to prevent its extinction. Because of this, Venice has long remained a center for uninterrupted celebrations and festivities up to date. Despite the complaints from Venetians concerning the strict administration by Venice’s government, it is worth appreciating that every law passed by Venice favors the welfare of its citizens.