Venice Carnival and Casanova Small-Group Walking Tour

Features

• At the house of Giorgio Baffo, your guide explains how this poet's circle intersected with Casanova's life, tying in anecdotes that illuminate the social freedoms of Carnival season.

• The stories of Carnival and Casanova's Venice shared here deepen your view of how masks and anonymity influenced relationships, especially among the literate and noble classes.

• Your guide, still in a traditional Venetian mask, uses this setting to show how themes from Baffo's era echo in modern Venice Carnival traditions.

The Ridotto and the world of Venetian courtesans

Move on to the area of the Ridotto, known as the first casino in Venice, where gambling and masked encounters once unfolded. This part of the walk explores public entertainment spaces and their connection to the world of the Venetian courtesans.

Features

• At the Ridotto, the first casino in Venice, you hear how masked gambling halls operated and why this venue became a focal point of Carnival nightlife.

• Insights into the world of the Venetian courtesans reveal how status, fashion, and secrecy shaped their roles, linking their stories directly to Casanova's adventures.

• Explanations of how Venetian masks are made and why they were worn clarify the practical and symbolic purposes of different mask types, from concealing identity in places like the Ridotto to signaling social roles.

• Throughout this section of the route, the guide's commentary connects the Ridotto, Venetian courtesans, and Casanova's movements, rounding out the approximately 2-hour walking tour through Carnival history.

Wrapping up

Your guided route concludes in the historic center after the final stories of the Ridotto and Venetian courtesans, leaving you free to continue exploring Venice independently or revisit locations from Casanova's San Samuele district on your own.