You hear a soft chuckle and the swish of a cloak from a dark Venetian alley. A strange inhuman face appears in the light of a streetlamp, casting a sharp-angled shadow. Unmoving and ominous, you cannot read its intent, and a chill of fear cascades down your spine. Then you realize it's just a partier in a mask - you're in Venice, Italy for Carnevale!

Exotic masks and costumes abound during Carnevale

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About Carnevale

Venice's historic and popular carnival (or carnevale) runs during the two weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday, ending the day before, at midnight on Fat Tuesday (also known as "Mardi Gras" or "Shrove Tuesday").

This medieval festival re-emerged during the 1970's as a tool to increase interest in Venetian culture, where revelers would don masks of various types to disguise their identity and social class, thereby enabling more egalitarian mingling across social boundaries. Gamblers, criminals and lovers on illicit romantic trysts would exploit the masks for similar anonymity. Over the years, many laws were passed by the government in Venice outlawing the extravagant disguises, to prevent such undesirable mischief. Now, of course, such laws have been lifted to allow the million or so visitors the carnival attracts to enjoy themselves without the threat of arrest for simple clothing violations.

The Masks

Mask-wearing has always been a pervasive part of the lifestyle and festival scene in Venice. Indeed, so frequent was the number and procession of festivals that Venetians could actually spend as much (if not more) time in a mask than without. Such demand for masks meant an entire industry of mask-making sprang up in Venice, where the highly-respected occupation has become guilded, giving rise to their own special laws and a unique position in society. They're not cheap either. Some of the more expensive papier-mache masks can set a well-heeled partier back several thousand dollars!

Eerie faces in a Venetian mask shop

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The Bauta
There are several types of mask; a popular choice is the Bauta, which covers the whole face but protrudes at the bottom to allow the wearer to eat and drink without removing it.

The Columbine
The Columbine (also known as the Columbina or Columbino) is a smaller mask, usually more delicate and ornate, that only covers the eyes and nose, and is mounted atop a baton which is held, or attached to the head via a ribbon or cord.

The Larva (Volto)
This mask is mainly white and full face, and is usually worn with a tricorno hat and cloak. Typically made of a fine wax cloth, these masks are light and more comfortable than the other types, lending themselves to more prolonged carousing, hence their popularity.

Medico Della Peste (The Plague Doctor)
A long-beaked mask, traditionally white with round crystal eye covers which can give a somewhat eerie appearance, especially if worn with the traditional black hat and cloak.

Planning your trip

Nowadays the partying in Venice is centered around street performers and music in St. Mark's Square, though the costumes and mask-wearing can be seen all over the city. Arts events such as theater and opera abound, and there are grand balls and other events. The schedule changes yearly so it's best to check the latest info on one of these websites:

Carnevale di Venezia
Portale di Venezia - Carnival

Hotel rooms in Venice get booked up quickly for the carnevale, so it's a good idea to make reservations well in advance. It may seem like it's a long time from now, but it's not too soon to start planning your trip.

Venice, Italy is amply served by two international airports, and these are probably the best way to get to the city. Marco Polo International Airport (British Airways, US Airways, Delta, Air France, KLM) is less than five miles from the city center. Budget airlines like RyanAir and Wizz Air serve the further of the two, Treviso Airport, which is twelve miles distant.

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Carnevale in Venice is certainly one of the special experiences you'll remember for a lifetime. Venice is enchanting any time of year, but this is something truly remarkable. For some other ideas of things to do there, see What to do in Venice, Italy.
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If you're planning a trip to Florence, you're probably wondering when is be the best time to go. After all, you don't want to arrive there when it's cold and raining, if you were hoping to spend your time lingering outside at the sidewalk cafes. So here's a guide to when it's the best time to visit Florence!

Summer

A lot of tourists choose summer (June-August) for their vacation trip to Florence, and if you have to plan around school vacation schedules, you might not have much leeway in this choice. If your time is more flexible, though, there are some downsides to summer that you'll want to consider. Weather-wise this time of year can be hot (up in the 90s Fahrenheit), and it often gets quite humid in Florence, too. Florence is also the most crowded with tourists in the summer. So if you love hot weather, and don't mind crowds, going to Florence in the summer may be right for you.

Summer crowd outside the duomo in Florence

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Autumn

Autumn (September-October) is a very pleasant time to visit Florence. There are less crowds than in the summer, and the weather isn't too cold (think 68F in mid-October). Autumn is a great time to see the deciduous trees turning color, so if you love nature's different seasons and fall color, then autumn may be one of the best times for you to visit Florence. If you're interested in wine and plan to tour the Chianti wine area around Florence, you might be able to see some harvesting in the fall, too.

Winter

Winter (November-February) can be chilly. It's often rainy, and there is an occasional chance of snow (unlikely but possible). Winter temperatures average about 50F in January. If you're mostly interested in indoor pursuits, however, you'll find the museums nicely uncrowded this time of year - a world of difference from the summertime! Because there are so few tourists, you'll also get to feel a bit more of the real local scene, rather than finding all the streets and restaurants crowded with international vacationers.

Spring

Spring (March-May) is a lovely season to visit. The weather is nice, but not too hot - averaging around 70F in April. Quite a few other people are catching on to the spring option, so the tourists are starting to arrive, though it won't be quite as crowded as it is in summer. It's a good time if you want to see flowers blooming, perhaps taking a stroll in the Boboli Garden.

Flowers in the Boboli Gardens, Florence

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Attractions

One of the most important tips for any tourist is to do your research in advance, and decide what attractions are on your must see list. Then you can check the website for those attractions. Find out the schedule for your "must see sights", and make sure whether they are closed at some times of year. It's possible for museums or restaurants to close down in January, or over Christmas, Easter, or other major holidays. By identifying the places most important to you, you can make sure you don't run into this disappointment. Spending Christmas in Italy could be a memorable and wonderful vacation, indeed! Just make sure you know what will or won't be open for you before you book the tickets.

Festivals

If you're interested in seeing something special, beyond the typical attractions that are there all year, you might want to consider visiting Florence during one of the festivals. A few of the main festivals are:

- Festival of St. John - June 24
- Explosion of the Cart festival - Easter Sunday
- Florence music festival - Spread over 2 months in the summer
- Paper lantern festival - First week in September
- Florence antique festival - Sept-Oct, every other year

If you want to venture out of town a bit, there are also some very cool festivals in smaller towns near Florence, like the Infiorata (Flower Festival) in Pienza.

Planning your trip to Florence

Here's our recommended plan of attack for figuring out when is the best time to go to Florence:

- Is a particular festival very important to you? If so, plan around that.
- Are you tied to a particular season for school or work schedule reasons? If not, use the season overviews above to narrow down to an approximate window.
- Fine tune your trip dates based on knowing any closure dates for attractions you really care about, and any less important festivals that would be fun to see.

Of course, if you're visiting other cities on the same Italian vacation, then you'll want to do the same kind of process for them, so you can optimize all the locations you'll visit.

And now, you're ready to start planning your trip to Florence, Italy!

If you're heading to Italy over the summer – any summer – consider checking out some special events or celebrations while you're there. You can get a different view of Italy through its festivals. Besides, who doesn't love a party?

June

Pisa, Luminar di Saint Ranieri: June 16th every year the city of Pisa celebrates the Luminara di Saint Ranieri, the Patron Saint of Italy, who died as a Saint in 1161, and who has been celebrated since the late 17th century. Along the river Arno, more than 70,000 candles are lit, which light up the river, the buildings, the bridges and the whole city. Several of the wax candles are also sent floating down the river. The only thing not lit by candles is the Leaning Tower, which is adorned by oil lamps, instead. The celebration also includes a fireworks celebration at the "Cittadella Vecchia" after dark, around 11 at night.

The next day, there's a regatta on the 17th, which has four boats rowed by men from each of Pisa's four competing districts. At the finish line, the winner climbs a rope to claim the Victory Flag.

Florence, San Giovanni Feast Day: On the Sunday following June 24th every year in Florence, San Giovanni Feast Day, the celebration of John the Baptist, is celebrated. This celebration includes a medieval tournament that dates back to when the festival started, followed by music, drinking and feasting.
There is also a fireworks celebration preceded by rowboats carrying lit candles paddling down the Arno River.

July

Genoa, Festa del Cristo degli Abissi: On July 29th, off the Ligurian coast, there is a procession that leads to the underwater statue of Christ. The statue is dedicated to those who lost their lives at sea, and a mass is held on the beach.

Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo: From July 1 through August 15, Rome celebrates Castel Sant'Angelo beside the Vatican. There are all kinds of concerts, shows, and plays performed in the evenings, until after midnight. There are also events for the children, so they enjoy the celebration too.

August

National, Ferragosto: Assumption Day, celebrated August 15th, is a national holiday, celebrated with music, food and fireworks. Since it is a national holiday, it's not a good day to go shopping, but there are plenty of other things to do. Food is sold inexpensively, and you can enjoy it while listening to music, watching concerts and admiring the fireworks.

These are just a few of the many, many options. No matter where you're going in Italy, there's a good chance you'll find a celebration!