The Venice Carnival has fascinated thousands of visitors for centuries thanks to the beauty of the city, the imagery of its famous names, and the atmosphere you can breathe.
The Venice Carnival always opens with a grand event that keeps thousands of visitors with their eyes glued to the sky: The Flight of the Angel.
The event takes place at 12:00 on the first Sunday of Carnival, officially opening the celebrations and has its roots in the ancient maritime republic.
The origins of the Flight of the Angel date back to the 16th century when a Turk crossed on a rope tied from the bell tower of St Mark's Square to a boat anchored at the pier.
The event caused a great stir and was repeated in subsequent years until the 18th century when an accident led to the descent of an artist being replaced by a wooden dove.
In 2001, thanks to the collaboration between Compagnia dei Folli and Venetian Theatre Productions by Alessandro Bressanello, after over 250 years, the tradition has been revived with a company artist who descended from the Campanile of Piazza San Marco on a steel wire.
The tradition still opens the Venice Carnival in front of a vast audience. Another medal in the thirty-year history of the Compagnia dei Folli.
