Latest edition : 20 January 2017
Forget the Venetian pseudo-masks offered for a few euros at the corner of the alleys. They only have a Venetian in the name.
To discover the art of mask making, head to the workshop of Carlo Marega, one of the best craftsmen in Venice and who is happy to explain the different techniques of his work.
But before he begins his demonstration, he insists on the reasons for the carnival that made his city famous all over the world.
Venice, a maritime republic, was home to merchants from all over the world. "Venice was a cosmopolitan city, a melting pot, a city that is always open, modern." A mixture of cultures and traditions was difficult to manage and very severe rules and punishments were needed. In addition to government rules, the church imposed its own.
To avoid conflicts, it was necessary to let go a little, give the noble and political class a period of more freedom. It was the birth of the carnival. But as the Church never ceased its surveillance, it was necessary to hide, therefore to mask oneself. "
The mask (the larva) is completed by a hat and a black cape with lace that covered the whole character, called the “Bau, the Ba bao, who is frightening with his mask”.
Women wore black masks over their mouths. “This prevented them from speaking and therefore from betraying their social origin through the difference in language! "
While speaking, Carlo Marega works: creating the face in clay to make the mold, applying a mixture of water, glue and papier-mâché, leveling with sandpaper. With a cutter, Carlo Marega cuts the openings.
On the white mask, he applies a layer of lacquer, special glue, gold leaves, gently smoothing leaf after leaf. On another mask, he dabs a little oil paint, which he then rubs to create cracks.
"It's like foundation, but in this case to show wrinkles and not hide them", smiles the master of masks, who offers 150 models.
A little extra: the San Polo district, where the workshop is located, is a bit away from the crowds.
