Hi everyone,
As
you can probably tell from the title I’m researching again. I’m looking at all
the romance, colour and intrigue of a masquerade ball and trying to weave a
story from it. As a little girl I always wanted to attend one and unfortunately
I never got to. This
is what happens when you read far too many fairy tales which were illustrated by
Arthur Rackham (dreams of ball gowns, masks and silks which were never
realised!). Anyway, I came across a few interesting facts and snippets about
masked balls. Hope you find it interesting.
Nicóle xx
The
festival is believed to have developed around the Roman Catholic Lent. The carnival
was associated with pre-Lenten festival practiced on or around Martedí Grasso (Shrove
Tuesday). The forty days of Lent mark a period of self reflection, prayer, repentance,
alms giving and self denial. This is accompanied with fasting and the
abstinence of meat, dairy product, fruit and eggs. Lent is to remind the
faithful of the forty days according to the gospels (Mathew, Mark & Luke),
in which Jesus fasted and was tempted by the Devil in the desert.
The
history of the Venetian carnival is thought to have originated from the annual
celebration of the Doge Vitale Michieli II’s victory over Ulrich of Trevan,
Patriarch of Aquileia in 1162. Ulrich was captured along with twelve of his
vassals. They were released on the condition Ulrich would pay an annual tithe or
tribute to Venice in the form of one bull, twelve loaves of bread and twelve
pigs. The pigs and bull were slaughtered each year in the Piazza San Marco
around Shrove Tuesday to commemorate the victory.
By
the 15th century, masquerade balls were a feature of the carnival season. They
were used to celebrate pageants, triumphal processions (for marriages and dynastic
events) and Royal Entries. Royal Entries were also known as ‘Joyous Entries’
which signalled the triumphant festivities accompanying the formal entry into
the city of its ruler.
By
the 16th century in Italy, masquerade balls extended to public costumed
festivities. Particularly popular in Venice, these elaborate dances were
associated with the Venetian Carnevale and attended by the aristocracy. With the fall of
the Venetian Republic at the end of the 18th century, the use and tradition of
masks gradually began to decline, until they disappeared altogether.
However
the popularity of the masquerade ball grew and extended throughout Europe
during the 17th & 18th centuries.
Sources
A Short History of
Venetian Carnival Masks by Michael J. Tieuli
Masquerade Ball
from Wikipedia
Image - Bigstock
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