Venice Carnival 2005

The origins of the Carnival ascend at the ancient period of the Paleolithc, when the wizards were adorned of rich customs of stones and harness-bells and painted masks for them propitiators rites. In the roman period the celebrations in honour of the god, that developed long the roads of Rome, foresaw already the habit of the masking that allowed to destroy the barriers shutter from the social condition: were born so the Baccanali, celcebrations in honour of Bacco, the Saturnali, in honour of Saturno, the Opalia, for the goddess Ope and the Lupercali, in remember of the Lupa. The utilization of the word Carnival ascends, however, at the middle ages an the origins of the name are not sure still. Today this party, now grew part of the popular traditions of our countries, is reason of meeting, gaiety, muddle, music, colours and a pinc of transgression. To Venice was 1296 when the Senate of the Serenissima Republic put into an edict in which prolaimed in way officious that the before day of the beginning of the Lent was day of party. The term and the intensity of the celebrations of the Carnival since that distant year endured numerous alterations and alternate fortunes and only since 1979 the town of Venice gave life at a series of manifestations, shows, marches of allegoric cart that from then are knowned like "Carnival of Venice". The edition 2005 opens 28 january with a free concert of the brazilian guitarist Irio De Paula to the university Theatre Santa maria at 08:45 pm; then, aince twelve days, Venice the adjacent commons, the hamlets and the islands of the lagoon, will be enlivened with teathrical shows, concerts, allegoric cart and masked people. The entire program of the initiatives is consultable on the