Venice Carnival
A flying angel and parade of young women named Marie are highlights of the second weekend of carnival.
Masked balls are dime a dozen during the floating city’s month-long party in the leadup to Lent, but there are plenty of events for those who prefer not to drop hundreds, if not thousands, of euros on dressing up like a 16th18th-century lord, lady or harlequin.
The Flight of the Angel event this weekend dates to the mid-16th century when a visiting Turk walked a tightrope from a boat moored in the Riva degli Schiavoni to the top of St Mark’s Tower and, from there, to the balcony of the Doge of Venice in a flamboyant tribute to the official.
These days, the event is recreated by a young woman who ziplines down from the tower to St Mark’s Square, wearing a voluminous skirt.
The Festa del Marie commemorates the date in 978 when 12 soon-to-wed women were said to have been abducted by pirates lured by their youthful good looks and jewels.
The event was initially marked with a procession of well-dressed women from church to church but, worried people were going to church primarily to admire the girls, officials replaced them with effigies.
When locals responded by throwing vegetables at the effigies, the event was abolished but it’s since been resurrected – complete with real girls.
The woman judged the best Maria gets to be the flying angel at the following year’s event.