There is an enormous wealth of historic facts, anecdotes, customs and practices associated with the Venetian mask; a real treasure of knowledge that is hardly ever re-evaluated and offered to the public. Join us to this discovery trip on how to produce and decorate the traditional Venetian carnival papier-mâché masks.
Info & Booking
Short course to learn how to make and decorate papier-mâché masks.
Time required: 1 hour and a half for the production and 1 hour and a half for the decoration, including the theoretical part. For technical reasons it is better to leave two days between one session and the other, though if necessary one day can suffice.
Each participant will create one mask and will decorate it together with another one he/she can choose from the numerous unpainted models from our range.
Languages available: English, French and Italian. On request also in German, Spanish and Russian.
Also held on public holidays and after dinner.
No dangerous materials or tools are used.
The method of presenting the activities is the result of long experience working with all types of groups.
Each participant, even those with no experience of manual work, will create a genuinely well-finished mask of which he or she can be proud and which will be a gratifying reminder of their stay in Venice.
At the end of the work each participant can take home their own mask.
Cancellation policy:
total refund in case of cancellation up to 8 weeks prior the date visit
75% refund from 55 to 22 days before the visit
50% refund from 21 to 15 days before the visit
25% from 14 to 8 days before the visit
No refund is possible for later cancellations and no shows
Venetian Mask-making mini course
Venice is the only city in the world where the mask became an object of common, general, everyday use for most of the year. Before, during and after Carnival, life in Venice could be conducted incognito and was extremely free and adventurous. There is an enormous wealth of historic facts, anecdotes, customs and practices associated with the mask, which rarely reaches the unsuspecting tourist.
Get to know the fascinating world of the Venetian mask, and learn some of the hidden meanings of this unusual object. The practical activity of creating your own mask is preceded by a short theoretical explanation, tailored to your group's unique need.
This workshop is an excellent opportunity for learning at least some of the more fascinating aspects of how people lived in Venice in days gone by in a hands-on practical experience sure to stay with you long after you return home.
Creation Session:
Each participant is given a plaster mould of the most traditional and significant Venetian mask, the Volto. Your work consists of filling this mould with several layers of a special absorbent paper, which must be previously dampened and spread with glue.
At the end of the work session, the mould is set aside to dry. This process requires some hours, which is why the decoration session cannot take place on the same day.
Once the mould has dried, the edges and eyes of the rough mask must be cut. We do this part of the operation before the next session so that participants are not required to use sharp tools.
Decoration Session:
During this session you will paint the mask you made, plus another one of your choice, which you'll choose among numerous unpainted models from our collection. The options include antique mask shapes from the Carnival, from Venetian daily life and the theater (Commedia dell'Arte), as well as modern, imaginative models.
The theoretical explanation allows everyone to understand the meaning of each mask, making the choice itself more gratifying. Each participant may also choose from seven different practical work possibilities – two coloring techniques suggested by us that are typical of traditional masks or, for those wishing to freely express their creativity, imaginative decoration with five different finishing techniques.
At the end of the work session, you will be able to take your mask home – your own professionally finished and unique souvenir from Venice.
Cancellation Policy
Total refund in case of cancellation up to 8 weeks prior the date visit 75% refund from 55 to 22 days before the visit 50% refund from 21 to 15 days before the visit 25% from 14 to 8 days before the visit No refund is possible for later cancellations and no shows