When Paula and I were in Venice we were captivated by the amazing array of Venetian masks available for sale.

The workmanship and attention to detail is quite extraordinary and they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles.

And because this is not an item that you want to jam into your suitcase you will find that most stores will arrange to ship your chosen mask home.

So what is it that inspired the Venetians to wear masks in times gone by. I wouldn’t mind betting that it was a cover up for when they were getting up to no good.

Well lets just take a sneek peek into the history of the Venetian Mask.

Venetian masks have a long and interesting history. Originally citizens of every rank and station wore them so that they could communicated freely and openly with any member of society, without fear of reprisal or recrimination.

It was  thought that by hiding a wearer’s identity every party was able to conduct business on an equal level. The lowliest servant could speak with a lord directly and honestly. Of course what starts out as a good idea often has it’s own pitfalls. The Venetian mask was no exception.

While it may have sounded like a good idea at the time the masks quickly became a tool during times of debauchery and promiscuity. It’s simply amazing what people will get up to when their identity is concealed. While wearing a mask they were free  to  conduct themselves in the most outrageous manner.  This led to a freer and more open society. And of course the church took umbrage with this and soon issued an edict outlawing the wearing of masks.

It was too late though, the masks were popular, and so the church relented and allowed the wearing of them between the day after Christmas and the day before Lent.

What has this evolved into? The typical Mardi Gras mask! The flamboyant decorations of today owe their roots to a societal attempt at equality. One could argue that the mask still serves the same purpose that it did centuries ago. All one has to do is checkout a Mardi Gras parade to see revelers in masks behaving in ways you would never expect were they showing their faces and could be recognized.

There are many types of masks and each has a particular significance. Some are full faced and others are half masks, then there are the colombina, jester and the long nosed Zanni, Scaromouche and many others  all with stories behind their development.

True Venetian masks are absolute works of art. Venetian artisans craft elaborate masks with jewels, folded paper, faux fur, feathers and all manner of accouterments,  and there will definitely be one to suit you.  They range in size from very small intricate masks to very large wall or meant to be worn masks.

The next time your travels take you through Venice take some time out to check out some of the this beautiful craftwork and pick up one for yourself? It will make a great decoration for the home or as part of a costume the next time you attend a masquerade ball.

Here are just a few of the beautiful masks that we saw on sale in Venice.  You can also purchase rather nice masks for parties and Mardi Gras from Amazon.com

I came upon this video on youtube.com and I thought that the piece was really done well, so I have included it here for your enjoyment.

The clip is about Venice during Carnevale and the music fits very well with the clip.

We were trying to cram in as much as possible in the short time we were in Venice.

While we were walking around the streets, taking in the sights, smells and sounds we noticed a large ship that towered over the buildings.

The ship could be seen from many parts of Venice so we headed over to have a look. It was quite a sight and we watched as little boats came to and fro loading up produce.

To quickly orientate ourselves with Venice we went on  a walking tour.

Part of the walking tour included a ride on the public gondola.

We thoroughly recommend that you do this walking tour.

Our guide pointed out the different styles of architecture in Venice as it had developed over the years, showing the influence in style of whichever political sphere of influence Venice was under at the time of building.

We also visited a church that had magnificent tombs and paintings by Giovanni Bellini and Titan.

All to soon it was time for us to take a trip on one of the public gondolas.  We had been looking forward to this experience and it is one of the ‘must do’ things that  you must do when you go to Venice.

Each  gondolas is unique in that it is decorated in a style to suit the owner and some of the gondola operators.

Here is Chilli waiting for his turn to hop into the gondola. Chilli is the stuffed dog that the ladies from work in Brisbane gave us to take on our trip. He has had quite an adventure so far.

One of the American girls took a shine to Chilli and made sure he got the best seat in the gondola and that he got to see all the best sights.

Riding in a gondola is a truly fascinating experience. We went up and down canals and under bridges. One of the canals was closed of with a type of sacking to keep the water back. Workers were plastering the walls below the waterline.