The 2013 Carnival of Venice has officially started. Yesterday the traditional Volo dell'angelo (Angel's Flight) took place in Saint Marks square. A crowd of 70,000 people attended the event: the angel (a very brave Venetian student) flew hanging from a rope from the top of Saint Mark's bell tower to the stage set in the square below.

This traditional celebration kicked-off the 2013 edition of the Carnival that wil take place in Venice from January 26th to February 12th. The schedule is very rich in events and happenings that, like every year, will draw thousands of people from all over the world.

The title of this year's edition is Vivi i colori - Live in Colour . Citing the organizer's words: "The Carnival of Venice 2013 will be dedicated to the colours because each colour communicates and evokes emotion ... colours are an expression of subjectiveness, and they share with the spirit of Venice Carnival the infinite variety and the numbers of disguises, each one corresponding to our endless different attitudes".

Go to the bottom of this page to download the complete schedule in English. 

Read more about the history and traditon of Venice Carnival

Find here the official Carnival 2013 website