Sandi Toksvig visits the City of Venice and joins in the carnival.
The Venetian carnival started in the 11th century; it fell into decline in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was revived by a group of Venetians and lovers of Venice in 1979 and is now one of the major tourist attractions in the city.
Sandi takes her mother and sister round some of the events which form part of the celebrations, from the traditional italian Commedia dell'arte to the more recent addition of big band jazz. They also make time to stroll around observing the fantastic masks and costumes which people put on to parade the narrow walkways.
Sandi talks to Alessandro Bressanello, the artistic director of the Carnival and Adriano Lurissevich, the director of the true Commedia Dell'Arte plays.
Sandi Toksvig:
