Wearing masks was mandatory in old Venice?

Factual Questions
1

I am currently reading Ian Kelly’s biography of Giacomo Casanova (whom we are doing injustice by remembering him mainly as a seducer - he was a gifted polymath), and of course the author tries to capture the spirit of carnival in 18th century Venice. There is a reference that surprised me: “There was mandatory mask-wearing, for an entire city, day and night, from October to Ash Wednesday, with a brief break for Christmas…”

Now I have read elsewhere before that mask-wearing in public, even when doing everyday business, was not uncommon in Venice. I also see that modern-day concepts of individual freedom and a sphere of privacy which the state is not supposed to interfere with are not really applicable to ancien régime Europe, which had a much looser concept of freedom. Yet, I don’t really see the point of a legal requirement like this. Why would a state stipulate a mask-wearing duty in everyday life? Or is the author exaggerating here, meaning simply that mask-wearing in public was legal and common, but not mandatory?

2

Ask Saudi Arabia.

3

You may be overinterpreting the word “mandatory”. It could have been societally mandatory - i.e. the “done thing” and you could be scorned for not doing it - but not a legal requirement. Is there any more context to the quote?

Also, I think masts would only be mandatory if one were a boat.

4

Yes, but wearing them might be a bit tricky! :slight_smile:

5

Might it depend upon one’s cap size? :slight_smile:

6

Especially if one were three sheets to the wind.

7

It might have been tough for the older men…viagra being only a recent discovery.

8

The point would be so that people could quickly tell if they liked the cut of your jib.

9

And one could easily discern if the sun were over the yardarm.

10

It would make it easy to pick your sparring partner.

11

Or if you were just giving them a line because you had too much port. Then they would be obliged to deck you for not being on an even keel.

12

So you weren’t allowed to appear in public if you’ve had a mastectomy?

13

If your mast is upright for more than four hours, see your doctor. (He’ll probably prescribe leeches.)

14

Gives new meaning to “Master and Commander”.

15

Master? I don’t even know 'er!

16

Corrected spelling in thread title from “masts” to “masks.”

Sorry if it makes the jokes less intelligible.:wink:

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

17

I didn’t notice that the OP was written by Schnitte. While the image of people walking around wearing masts is amusing, it’s an understandable mistake when one’s native language is not English.

No harm intended, Schnitte!

18

Spoilsport.

19

Thanks indeed. Sorry to everyone amused by the typo (it was indeed a typo - I do know the difference between the two words).

20

Of course it was frowned upon to hang dead fish from your mast in public. No telling what you could catch that way.