Visit Flight of the Angel marks the start of Carnival in Venice.
On this occasion, a disguised person descends a long cable attached to both the place Saint-Marc and on the bell tower.
Today, I'm going to tell you all about this tradition.
Here we go!
Flight of the Angel in Venice: article summary
When does the Venice Angel fly?
Le Vol de l'Ange takes place on the first Sunday of Carnival, between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.depending on the organization's decision. To make sure you've got enough room to see the show, I suggest you visit the place Saint-Marc at 9:30 a.m. Before the flight, you'll enjoy a short costume parade, so you won't get bored waiting for the famous event.
The square is usually full before and after the event. If I advise you to get there early, it's also to make sure you can get to the square. The police allows only 20,000 people to attend the event. If you arrive too late, you will no longer have access to the square and will have to retreat to one of the adjacent streets. From there, you risk missing the whole ceremony.
What's the story behind the theft of the angel in Venice?
The first Flight took place in 1500, when a young Turkish acrobat walked a rope stretched between a moored boat and the campanile of San Marco. After successfully reaching the campanile, he turned his attention to the Doge's Palace to greet the Doge. The performance was a great success. So much so, in fact, that the show (Turkish flight, in those days) has been repeated every year since, with a few variations. At one point, the acrobat was equipped with wings. And so the name changed: Il Volo dell'Angelo (The Flight of the Angel).
After a fatal incident in 1759, a wooden dove (Le Vol de la colombe) replaced the acrobat. La Colombine, a small dove, threw confetti at the crowd. In 2001, the municipality decided to replace the dove with a person. In the beginning, the chosen protagonist was a celebrity or sports champion.
The 12 Marie competition
Since 2011, l'Ange has been the winner of the previous 12 Marie" Carnival. The candidates are 12 beautiful Venetian girls, aged between 18 and 28, chosen by a jury.
The Marie competition recalls the tribute the Doge used to bestow on 12 beautiful but impoverished Venetian girls, endowing them with gowns and jewels for their wedding. The 12 poorest and most beautiful girls in the city could then enjoy a magnificent wedding in the Doge's presence, as well as a banquet and parade aboard the Doge's galley.
If you're going to Carnival in Venice, I'd advise you to go along and watch the flight of the angel. You'll be able to see a tradition that has endured over the centuries. To find out more about Carnival in Venice, please visit read this article.
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