Commedia della crisi

February is the month of parties in Venice. This becomes apparent as soon as you land on Marco Polo airport. Long queues form at security checks, thousands of travellers coming from Europe, Asia, and North America.

The tourist harbour is five minutes’ walk away. Boats leave one by one to San Marco Piazza (Saint Mark’s Square), the place all tourists want to see even before going to the hotel. The 10-km trip takes around 45 minutes by boat, and costs 13 euros.

“Benvenuti” (Welcome), says captain Mariano, as we step into his boat. He is 29 and has been transporting tourists along the island’s canals for five years. “We have two-three times more tourists coming in for the duration of the festival compared with the rest of the year,” says the young man, somewhat annoyed that the flow of visitors only boosts the owner’s revenues. Although he makes almost 2,000 euros a month, he says life in Venice is much too expensive, both for him and for the island’s 60,000 inhabitants.

The Campanile, the church’s bell tower, which appears on the horizon, is a sign that we are approaching Saint Mark’s Square.
In the centre of the square, organisers set up a huge stage where the most beautiful costumes of the carnival are paraded. “This piazza should not be so empty. Last year it was swarming with tourists, but now…,” sighs Don Raffaello, our guide.

From the 6th to the 16th of February, people in Saint Mark’s Square were able to enjoy the diversity of carnival costumes. Masks are a symbol of the Venetian carnival, dating back to the 13th century. Back then, their role used to be to reduce differences between the rich and the poor for the duration of the Easter Fast.

This year, competing for the first place were participants who came as frogs, cats, angels, and even a kitchen. The joy was however clouded by the economic crisis. The carnival’s budget was cut by 40% against last year, to one million euros, with the organisers resorting to sponsors to cover their expenses. The number of tourists accommodated in Venetian hotels is the same as last year, but, due to prices falling by at least 10%, hotels’ revenues have also slipped.