The Greatest Show on Earth

Grand Canal

The arrival into the most unique city in the world has no equal. As on previous occasions my arrival in Venice coincided with sunset. It’s a dramatic entrance via the greatest of thoroughfares, the Grand Canal, or ‘Canalazzo’ as it is affectionately known by the locals. As darkness descends, palazzos gleam romantically, dimly illuminated by the lamps fashioned from Murano glass. It must be about the slowest-moving form of public transport in the world, but this only serves to heighten the gravitas of events such as passing under the Rialto Bridge, glowing salmon pink in the last light of the day. But on this occasion there is something even more special in the air – it’s Carnevale!

Although the wonders of the natural world will always be the subject closest to my heart, the spectacle of Carnevale in Venice rivals anything I have seen put on my Mother Nature. It’s the greatest show on earth presented with a flourish by humanity. Yes, the crowds can be stifling, but abuzz with excitement, it adds only to the operatic atmosphere.

As I pass by the lesser known elegant piazzas (known in Venice as Campos, except for San Marco), I make mental notes of some of the locations that I plan to return to explore in the following days. Tomorrow morning, however, my day will start at Piazza San Marco. Like moths to a flame, people will be drawn to Italy’s most grand and opulent square. By mid-morning, the crowd will appear so thick that from a distance, one wonders how it can be crossed. In contrast, at the dawn, the piazza belongs only to photographers and the masks who take the masquerade most seriously. By the time, they don their elaborate costumes, make-up and masks, many will already have next year’s Carnevale planned. The old-hands can be spotted by their convincing poses and acting. The less experienced or talented will tend to stand like statues in front of gondolas, arches or the basilica, used as their props. Those who pay more attention to detail will have blackened the area around their eyes to prevent distracting flesh from appearing through the eyeholes of their masks.  The interactions between photographer and subjects are concluded by an exchange of business cards. Then the players move swiftly onwards to the next act on this most grand of stages.

Show Stopper