Veneziana Motoscafi

Its origins are very ancient: the first time the word Carnival was ever mentioned was on a document written by the Doge Vitale Falier in 1094, where he talks about some sort of a  public entertainment. The first official document declaring the Venice Carnival a public festival, though, dates back to 1296 and states that the day before the beginning of Lent was to be considered a holiday.

It is commonly thought that the Carnival was a way the Government had to give the population some time entirely devoted to festivities and fun; during the Carnival Venetians and foreigners would get all over the city dancing and celebrating. Masks, hiding people’s identities, acted like a social leveller and guaranteed a sort of social balance.