Hundreds of people have turned out for the first day of the annual Venice Carnival.
Thecity’s famous celebration is always a highlight of fun and festivity as tourists and locals parade carefree around St Marks’ Square.
There has been a huge revival in recent years for all things carnival related, forcing local craftsmen like Guerrino Lovato to work harder to compete for business in a market flooded with cheaper goods from China and eastern Europe, he says.
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Explaining the significance of carnival the artisan and shop owner adds: “It’s a Christian tradition, it was the only moment in which one could break, even just minimally, the rules of religion or politics, so it was a moment of freedom..and people like to play with their identities.”
Certainly, there will be lots of celebrations over the next few days in Venice.
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