Venice Carnival 11th February to the 21st February 2012

The Carnival which was first started in the early 14th century has now become one of the most well known festivals in the world. 

An annual event, Venice Carnival could have originally started as a Catholic celebration in the days before Lent, today the Venice Carnival still dates its start 40 days before easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. However some historians say it started as an annual celebration of Doge Vitale Michieli victory over Ulrich II of Aquileia in 1162... 

Venice Carnival Mask by Ron Leader

As I walk around Venice I often think of how by the 18th century the naughty Venetians has taken Carnivale to a new level (and away from any religious origins) by celebrating Carnivale for SIX MONTHS of the year! Venetians today still has this element of fun which you can see in everyday life! 

Photo from flickriver.comAh to have been alive in the age of Carnivale... Today we only get to experience two weeks of Carnivale, which is probably enough! While we wont get to meet Casa Nova we will get to experience the thrill of Masquerade!

Photo from telegraph.co.uk

If you are planning on visiting Venice for Carnevale di Venezia 2012 it is a good idea to book your tickets for the balls and accommodation as soon as you can, tickets are already on sale and will sell out very quickly!

 For more information on the Venice Carnival please see:
http://tiwp.blogspot.com/2011/01/carnevale-di-venezia-2011.html

For the best place to view the calendar and book tickets to the balls please see:
 http://www.venice-carnival-italy.com/index.php

For a unique experience in Venice, why not rent an apartment and enjoy life as a Venetian during your stay in this magical city... We have used Venice apartment rentals many times for wedding parties and their guests and are happy to highly recommend their services.
Check out http://www.venice-apartment-rental.com/