The grand opening to the Venice Carnival 2026 took place on Sunday, with a variety of boats and floats making their way through the city’s canals.
As is tradition, a giant paper-mâché rat aboard a gondola lead the way; known as “Pantegana”, it is a long-standing symbol of the carnival.
The two-week festival attracts tourists from all over the globe, with dancers, costumes and music lighting up the city.
It marks a period of opulence before the beginning of Lent, the Christian tradition of 40 days of fasting in the run up to Easter.
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