Festa della Marie- Carnevale 2015

The Festa della Marie, one of the main Carnevale events, is a re-enactment of an old traditional ceremony  took place yesterday, February 7 in Venice. 

As far back as the 9th century, Venetians blessed all the marriages that took place during the year at a ceremony on February 2, the day of the Purification of Mary. This ceremony took place at the cathedral of San Pietro in Castello. Also blessed were the marriages of 12 girls from poorer local families, who were each given a dowry from a wealthy family of the city and outfitted with jewels from the treasury of St. Mark's. The generic name of "Marie" was bestowed on each of these 12 girls. 

In 973, during this celebration, a band of pirates kidnapped the girls, absconding both the girls and all the jewels. Outraged, locals took off after the pirates, managed to find them, recovering the gems and returning the girls to safety. The Festa della Marie was created to thank the Virgin for her intercession in saving the girls and to commemorate the victory over the pirates.

Each year the 12 girls would be dressed and adorned in jewels for this parade from San Pietro in Castello. Eventually the real girls were replaced by wooden plaques, know as Marie de tola or Marie di legno. Another nickname for the wooden Maries was Marione.  These were cheaper- no dowry needed. Smaller versions of the Mariones were called Marionettes- yes, this is where the word Marionette stems from. 

In 1349, the Republic of Venice enacted a law prohibiting throwing fruit and other objects at the Mariones during this parade. Thirty years later, in 1379, the entire Festa was abolished.

Today in Venice, the Festa della Marie is a re-enactment of this traditional celebration commemorating the victory over the pirates in 973. A few weeks prior to Carnevale, a pageant is held during which  twelve local young women are selected by a panel of judges.  These girls, the "Maries" attend all of the important Carnevale  balls and events, representing the city. During the days of Carnevale, the local citizens may vote on their favorite girl, with the winner being  the " Marie" of the year. In recent years, whoever the winning Marie is becomes the Angel who will descend from the Campanile to the far end of Piazza San Marco during the Flight of the Angel the next year. 

So, now we have a little understanding about what the whole Festa della Marie is about. Let's get on with the parade!

 The 12 Maries  leaving the Telecom building near Rialto on their way to San Pietro in Castello for the beginning of the Festa della Marie parade.

 Each of the girls are wearing stunning gowns created by Pietro Longhi, one of Venice's talented costume designers.

While the parade makes its way from San Pietro towards San Marco, locals in Castello await the entourage at Via Garibaldi.   This happy band of singers belting out traditional Venetian tunes kept the crowd entertained during the wait.

Flag throwers lead the entourage. 

The 12 Maries ( and wooden Mariones ) are introduced to the public.

After a toast to the Maries, the parade assembles again, ready to carry the Maries to the Doge at St.Mark's square.

The Marie's entourage includes groups dressed in historic garb from neighboring cities, such as Trieste, Verona an  Conegliano.

Each girl is lifted onto a litter, carried by young gondoliers and other litter bearers. 

The wooden Marie de tola's bring up the rear of the real Marie's. 

You know what they say about Location, location, location?  I've watched the Festa della Marie numerous times from dead center in St. Mark's square. I've watched it from along the Riva degli Schiavoni, the main street leading from Via Garibaldi in Castello to St. Mark's Square.  I have to tell you, for me, there isn't a better spot to enjoy this Carnevale event than to be right on Via Garibaldi where the Marie's make a stop to be introduced to the local citizens.   It's here in Castello where today you find Venetians living. And here is where they celebrated their Carnevale yesterday, not the Carnevale of 100,000 tourists jammed into Piazza San Marco.  There weren't more than a few hundred spectators at this end of Venice yesterday, but the numbers didn't matter. It was the spirit that was important. Location, location, location.

A very tiny Carnevale fun fact

Carnevale 2015 officially began last weekend with the Festa Veneziana- a two day fun festival designed for locals, scheduled before the masses of tourists from all over the world descend upon Venice for the big events.

Not much Carnevale transpired  in the days between Festa Veneziana and today, kind of the lull before the storm - and that's a good thing because  all of Venice spent the week battling what seemed like endless acqua alta (high water), rain and high winds. Between now and February 17, Venice will be teeming with tourists, many donning elaborate costumes and masks participating in both masquerade balls and daily costume contests in St. Mark's Square.  

When you think of Carnevale, thoughts usually turn to masks, costumes, elegant balls and parades.  I thought I'd focus on something much smaller, almost inconsequential, but yet fundamental to Carnevale. Confetti. 

You cannot escape confetti during Carnevale.  It is one of the harbingers of the season. When I begin to see a bit of it in the streets, usually beginning around 3 weeks before, I know it won't be long before Carnevale is here.  And before long, all the streets are covered with it.

                                               

Confetti can be purchased in every Tabacci shop for around 1 Euro per bag. Any self-respecting Venetian child wouldn't be caught dead without their own supply, at the ready to be thrown at friends, parents, nonna and nonno, dogs, strangers.  Well, at  anyone or anything, it doesn't really matter. The stuff  just has to be thrown. 

Batman and big sister are armed with bags of the stuff, and Mom is even carrying a back-up supply  when theirs run out. 

Its one of those little things that just make you happy when you see it. You just can't help yourself. 

I see confetti every year, stuck in cracks all over Venice from January to March. I don't know why this year was any different, but for some reason  I started to wonder about confetti. Who thought up confetti in the first place?  Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge, provided answers. I thought I'd share some fun facts with you.

 All over northern Italy as far back as the middle ages, crowds threw things at Carnevale parades.  Things like balls of mud, eggs, coins and fruit. Earliest documentation of this tradition is traced to Milan in the 14th century. In 1597 throwing objects at Carnevale events was banned by the Governor of Milan, Juan Fernandez de Velasco (just in case you get this question during a game of Trivial Pursuit).  The tradition was revived during the 1700's, however the eggs and mud balls were replaced with candy coated coriander seeds. Coriander was a common plant in this region at the time.  And- just so you know- Coriandoli (the Italian word for Coriander) is what confetti is called in Italy.

So how did we go from candies to paper pieces? In 1875 Enrico Mangili, a Milanese businessman, started selling paper discs to throw at Carnevale.  At this time, Milan was a large manufacturer of silk. Mangili collected the small punched paper circles that were the leftovers from paper sheets used by silkworm breeders as cage bedding, and sold them- at a profit, of course! Mangili's paper confetti made a pretty big hit, being less harmful, more fun, and a lot less expensive than the other objects being used at the time.  It didn't take long before paper confetti became the object of choice all over Northern Italy. And there you have it- the birth of paper confetti.

One more little tidbit- the word Confetti is used in Italian, but it refers to candy coated Jordan almonds, which also used to be thrown at Carnevale, but today are more commonly given out at weddings, baptisms and graduations.

So there you have it- a little fun fact about Carnevale, and two new words to add to your Italian vocabulary : Coriandoli and Confetti.

Admit it,  it does make you smile, doesn't it?

Venice Carnevale 2015 Corteo Acqua

Part Two of Venice's Carnevale kick off weekend is a grand boat parade starting at Dogana Point, just across from St. Mark's square, snaking all the way up through the Grand Canal, ending on Cannaregio Canal.  The first weekend of Carnevale is always a celebration for and by the locals, called the Festa Veneziana, before the hordes of tourists flock the city for the over-the-top masquerade balls and lavish events that will begin next week.

If you are a Venice lover who keeps up with Venice events, you probably have already seen numerous photos and read blogs about yesterday's event, the Corteo Acqua (boat parade). I've blogged about this event in previous years as well. This year, the entire event was very different for me. I wasn't on the sideline snapping photos as the parade passed along the Grand Canal. I wasn't on onlooker. No. I was IN a boat, in that parade. My perspective was dramatically different this time around, for good reason. 

Two years ago, as a spectator to this very same event, standing canal side in Cannaregio, I spotted the Pink Lionesses of Venice for the very first time. There they were, in a glorious dragon boat, dressed all in pink with feathered masks on their faces, rowing amidst all the other boats.  I wished I could be rowing in that dragon boat with them.  I didn't know anything about them, but they stood out, they were a bit different than all the other costumed rowers, and they were rowing a dragon boat instead of standing up rowing in typical Voga Veneto style. Long story short, I am now a member of the Pink Lionesses. Yesterday was my first time rowing in the Carnevale Corteo Acqua.  

Preparations for the parade began a couple of weeks ago, as we Lionesses planned how we'd decorate the boat to reflect this year's Carnevale theme "La Festa piu geloso del mondo" or The world's most delicious festival.  One of our members came up with an ingenious way to make large fruits, which she executed over the next few days. She made the fruit, and a couple of the rest of us were called on to some how attach the decorations to the boat, including yours truly. 

This past friday afternoon, I spent a few hours arranging, and sewing, yes, sewing these paper mache fruits to a plastic grid cut in the shape of the prow of the boat. After all the fruit were sewed on, we then attached the grid to the boat.  It all miraculously worked out; the boat was ready for the big event, and so were we.

She looks pretty good, doesn't she?

What most people don't realize when they line up to watch the Corteo is that we all start quite a bit earlier.  Our boat was very carefully  (hoping not to destroy the fruit) lifted by crane into the water. Then a few of us paddled over to the next canal where everyone else loaded up. Yesterday acqua alta (high water) struck just around the same time we needed to embark, which made loading up a bit more treacherous.  Notice the water level in the next photo- it's even with  the sidewalk.  

 Masks on, we were ready!

The Corteo started at Dogana Point, where all the participants were to gather. While we waited for everyone to assemble, we were treated to a concerto high above the Grand Canal. You can see the crane holding a grand piano and musician in the center of this photo below.  

  Part of the parade assembly process included checking-in with  parade officials, who also threw bottles of water and sandwiches (tramezzini) into each boat for the rowers. And then we waited. And waited some more. 

It's tradition that the giant pantegane (rat) leads the parade.  Our boat was right next to the rat, as we waited for the signal to begin. There were some announcements made over a loud speaker by the parade official, everyone raised oars in a traditional tribute, and off we went!

There were more than a hundred boats yesterday, filled with local rowers in costume.  As we rowed you could just feel the happiness and joy among all the rowers. Cheers were being called from boat to boat between rowers as they recognized friends.  The crowds lining the Grand Canal waved and yelled to all of us. What a great feeling it was to be in the water, part of it all.

Spirits were soaring, despite the turn in the weather.  It started out cold. The cold continued, only to worsen with the start of rain and hail. That didn't slow anyone down.

Passersby on vaporettos waved and snapped photos. The Accademia and Rialto bridges were lined with people all cheering us all on.  I'd been in their spot in previous years. I have to tell you, it's better in the boat.

When we made the turn onto Cannaregio canal, there was an entirely different feel in the air. The excitement level had cranked up several notches. There were lots more people. Lots more cheering. It was an emotional scene for all of us in the boats, all of us proud and happy to be there. 

Parade officials located at the Tre Arche bridge were announcing various boats as we made our way up the canal.  Boats docked everywhere a spot was available, and the canal-side party began in earnest, right after the pantegane (big rat) released a rat belly full of balloons into the sky.  

Restaurants, cafes, bars and pastry shops all over town donated food, beverages and sweets, distributed at booths lining both sides of Cannaregio Canal.   Venetian dishes including sarde and saor, bigoli in salsa, pasta e fagioli, and the traditional Carnevale desserts frittelle and galani were available for all. Fortunately for all of us the weather had calmed down considerably by this time. 

The one downfall to being in a boat is not being able to have my camera. I was able to snap a few photos with my camera here and there. Not quite the same. That's ok. I was happy to sacrifice some photos for the sheer joy of being able to row and be a part of this special celebration. 

To give you a better view of the entire event, here's the official Carnevale You Tube video of yesterday's Corteo Acqua.  See if you can spot me, I'm wearing pink!

Venice kicks off Carnevale 2015

The Grand Opening of Venice's 2015 Carnevale was just that- GRAND!   Festa Veneziana sull'acqua, a spectacular display of sound, sight, and imagination kicked off the weekend's events designed for the local citizens to enjoy. Last night two shows were performed on the Cannaregio canal, at 6 and 8pm. Citizens lined the canal in anticipation and they were not disappointed. 

Mike and I arrived a bit late at about 6:10pm.  I have photos, but I was so far back in the crowd, they aren't decent. Luckily, this video posted on You Tube lets you get the full effect. Just watch and enjoy!  

Doesn't this make you put Venice on your bucket list, if it wasn't already?

Ciao!

Buon Anno 2015 !

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve and that today, the first day of the new year, started off on the right foot for you all. Did everyone eat lentils last night and/or today?  And remember to wear some red underwear?

This morning we took the vaporetto to the Lido then walked the short distance down to the beach to watch the annual "Polar Bear Plunge" which is called "gli iberisti" in Italian. I can't comprehend how these people jump into frigid water! One of the women told me it was very invigorating.  I was invigorated enough just walking over there and standing watching them in -2 C temps today!

Last night's New Year's Eve cenone turned out to be beyond our expectations. Excellent food, excellent company, a great night all around.  But, it didn't start out so great, and had all the markings of a monumental disaster. 

As I stepped out of our building headed to pick up our dinner from the caterer around 4:30 pm yesterday, this is the sunset I got treated to.  What a sight for the last evening of the year!

The caterer is located on the complete opposite side of the city, way over near the train station, in the Santa Croce district. The most convenient way for me to get there was to take the 5.2 vaporetto, get off at Piazzale Roma then walk the rest of the way. Knowing I had to pick up food for 4 people, I took my trusty carrello (grocery cart).  It was really cold, I wasn't liking the whole idea of doing this as I started out, but was eager for a good night so off I went.

When I arrived at the caterers, he took one look at me with my carrello and gave me a look of pure horror.  ( I need to interject an important fact here, something I have not mentioned yet. I was picking up the food at the caterers place of business, which is a take out pizza joint. I suspect he wanted to expand his business a little, so he advertised a take out 6 course dinner for New Years Eve.  The menu looked great, the price was very reasonable.  I proposed this to our friends Anne and Greg who would be joining us on NYE, and when they agreed to give it a go, I made the reservations. )

The caterer, Andrea, dressed in chef whites, a red apron wrapped around his waist and a red chefs hat on his head, motioned to a stack of 5 large, long white boxes on the counter. Then he motioned to my carrello and said "What did you think you were doing with that?"  I asked back, " Can we take all the food out and pile it into the carrello? "  "NO. " I understood the emphasis on the period after that word as he said it. I asked if we could slide the boxes into the carrello carefully.  "NO."   I thought for a second he was going to give me the classic hand motion to get out of the shop.  Instead, he walked around a bit, back into the kitchen, back out to  the counter area, then back into the kitchen and back out again. His wife made an appearance. She laughed. I wasn't laughing. Here were 5 very large boxes of food and I had no way to get them home.

Andrea came back out to my carrello and slid the canvas bag part of the thing off it's frame. Then he walked off again, returning with a plastic crate that coca cola bottles get delivered in. He turned that upside down and began duct taping it to the carrello frame. His wife quickly joined in, I just stood there and looked.  Next, he took 2 of the food boxes and strapped them down tightly to the plastic crate. Then he did the same thing to the remaining 3 food boxes.  He duct taped them up. He duct taped them down. He duct taped them all around. He gave it a test drive around the shop to make sure nothing would slip and slide around. He gave me the thumbs up and said "Ok to go!" with a big smile.

His wife asked me how far I needed to go to get home.  "Sant'Elena", I responded.  Oh good lord, she says to me, I hope you make it home by mezzonotte (midnight!).  Me too!

I carefully wheeled my carrello down the street and over bridges as I made my way back to Piazzale Roma.  To do this most carefully, I should have taken the #1 vaporetto home because I could have just wheeled the cart onto the boat without having to go up or down any steps. But, the problem with this is the #1 boat would have taken me 20 minutes longer to get back home. I opted to take the shorter route, and got on the 5.1 boat. I carefully maneuvered my unwieldy cargo down the stairs but had to sit out in the open part of the boat, in the cold frigid night air. It was -4 C last night.

My carrello and boxes

My New Year's Eve dinner and I arrived back home safely.  Mike came down to help me carry it up to the second floor, and then we started unpacking everything in the kitchen. Andrea had very meticulously packaged each of the food courses for person individually in a box. We had 2 big boxes labeled Carne (meat), 2 labeled Pesce (fish), and a fifth labeled Zuppe (soup). I also had a small plastic bag Andrea had handed me before leaving the shop.  Inside each box were separate small containers each with a different course in it.  I can't imagine how much work he had to go through to organize each order.

Our next task was to figure out how we would heat up each of these different courses.  Mike devised a cooking plan and had everything staged perfectly. Our guests arrived, we all got a great laugh out of the whole food retrieval saga, and sat down to a wonderful New Year's Eve Cenone.

I took a few photos of some of the courses, and regrettable, got so involved in dinner that I forgot to take the rest of them. Here are two courses each from both the meat and the fish dinners. Absolutely fantastic meal.

Turkey and almond salad in a parmesan basket

Shrimp in saor

Shrimp with pomegranate sauce and clementines. 

Pumpkin, eggplant and zucchine medalions with proscuitto crudo di Parma and Morlacco cheese.

To end the night, we had a selection of yummy pastries. We were all so stuffed it was all we could do to get up from the table. Mike and Greg braved the cold weather to walk down to Giardini to take photos of the fireworks. Anne and I watched from our kitchen balcony. 

I get some hairbrained ideas now and then, and I must admit doing catered take out New Year's Eve dinner is one of them. Now that I know what the drill is for carrying boxes home, I'd do this again it was that good. I'd take extra arms along with me and just carry the boxes carefully in our hands. 

If I were back in the US, all of this wouldn't have ever occurred. I'd have put all of the boxes in the back seat of my car, or perhaps in the trunk.  But no. I had to pull our dinner home on a duct-taped carrello. It makes for a better story this way! 

Buon Anno!!