Alpine Masquerade: The Venetian Carnival in Annecy

The old town of Annecy is lined with canals and arched with stone bridges, it is befitting the title: the Venice of France. And once a year  just a short time after Venice’s annual carnival, Annecy hosts its very own Venetian Carnival, a time when folk descend from the mountains and cross the borders of Switzerland and Italy, some dressed in traditional masquerade attire and others beguiled by novel costumes, and their backdrop of the lake, mountains, canals, and an 800 year old prison.

The origins of the Venetian carnival in Annecy can be traced back to 1995, when the city paired with Vicenza in Italy and set up an organisation (Aria) to manage relations, and all Annecy/ Italy events – including the carnival, public events, an Italian film festival and more. Since its humble beginnings with just 30 masked revellers, all from Annecy, traipsing through the town, the Venetian Carnival has risen to some 400 participants. Many of these come from all over France (we met a couple of unofficial masqueraders from Switzerland in a restaurant) – including several from Remiremont which was the first French city to host a Venetian style carnival. The carnival runs for an entire weekend, with a sneak preview on the Friday evening before the main event begins on Saturday. The main event however takes place throughout the old town and the rest of central Annecy.

We took a leisurely stroll through the town at a little after 11am on the Saturday and the streets were already full of silks and chiffons, as well as theatrical masks hiding behind trees and moving as a promenade through the cobbled streets of the old town. Around the edges of the lake on the Pont des Amours, tourists and photographers had already gathered in their tens to catch their first glimpses of the Venetian Carnival in Annecy…. and the crowds only continued to grow. 

A lone masquerader by the lake in Annecy A masquerader in front of the Palais de l'Île  Two pink ladies in the Jardins de l'Europe A laced mask at the Venetian Carnival in Annecy A girl in red by the River Thiou

As the day progresses, the masqueraders make their way through the town and through the gardens by the lake, over the various bridges of the old town and pose by the churches and monuments of the town. By the mid afternoon the town was bursting full of not just tourists and masqueraders, but of what seems like thousands of photographers – many of which are assigned to accompany the the various men and ladies as they make their way through town – shouting commands and requesting poses of all types. I won’t lie – it can get a little tiresome… but it’s the price we pay…

Fully clad in black at the Venetian Carnival Getting in line for a photo on the bridges of Annecy A blonde and a cat at the Venetian Carnival in Annecy

We spent the better part of the afternoon and evening drinking wine and indulging in the odd cocktail or two around town, so we woke slightly later than planned for Sunday’s festivities, though when we did we found the sky was grey and the rain was pouring hard and heavy and Annecy was almost empty. A little later on we found out that, when it rains, the crowds are steered towards the dry sanctuary of Bonlieu just a short stroll out of the old town.. and so we went in search.

One of the masqueraders across the water from a carousel All in blue A bronzed lady at the Venetian Carnival Under a rainbow umbrellaThe Sunday, truth be told was a little bit like an out of control circus. The masqueraders all followed a short route from the town to Bonlieu, stopping briefly for photos whilst quite literally hundreds of photographers ran around in circles trying to get photos. The exterior of Bonlieu was a literal mass of hundreds upon hundreds of people, and many hundreds more stuffed inside to watch the catwalk of costumes as they took to the stage to have their participation and a description of their costumes announced over the P.A. I assume that this only happens when it rains and the costumes are usually announced in a more accommodating outdoor venue by the lake – but regardless it was entertaining enough to watch the desperate “official photographers” stop for photos in the middle of the road, pushing through crowds and chasing plague doctors through the streets….

One of the masqueraders inside the Bonlieu The crowds and the catwalk inside of Bonlieu And yet more crowds... A steampunk influenced outfit outside of Bonlieu at the Venetian Carnival in Annecy Umbrellas at the Venetian Carnival