Il Ballo del Doge
Encyclopedia
Il Ballo del Doge is the most elegant and exclusive Venetian masquerade ball
, one of the many events held annually during the Carnival of Venice
. The ball itself is held in the 15th Century Venetian palace of Palazzo Pisani Moretta
, situated on the Grand Canal
in Venice
. The ball's name derives from the title of the elected heads (Doge
, Duke in English) who ruled Venice up until the fall of the Venetian republic in the 18th Century. Every year the ball is attended by around four hundred guests dressed in period costume and masked.
, Il Ballo del Doge has become a world famous masquerade ball
, defined by Vanity Fair
as "one of the most exclusive parties in the world." Guests have included members of European, Middle Eastern and Asian royal families, leaders in international business and finance, celebrities and the glitterati. Each year the ball follows a different theme, the most recent being:
Il Ballo del Doge 2011 is entitled "...Because Life is Magic" and will be held on Saturday 5th March 2011 in Palazzo Pisani Moretta
.
. Over the years the entertainment has included performances by opera
singers, musicians, burlesque
artists and characters from the Commedia dell'Arte
.
, Italian period costume designer based in Venice, Italy, is the creator and organizer of this event.
Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Carnival of Venice
Venetian Festival
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
, one of the many events held annually during the Carnival of Venice
Carnival of Venice
The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival starts 40 days before easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday , the day before Ash Wednesday.-History:...
. The ball itself is held in the 15th Century Venetian palace of Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Palazzo Pisani Moretta is a palace situated along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy between Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza and Palazzo Tiepolo.-History:...
, situated on the Grand Canal
Grand Canal of Venice
The Grand Canal is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city...
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. The ball's name derives from the title of the elected heads (Doge
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
, Duke in English) who ruled Venice up until the fall of the Venetian republic in the 18th Century. Every year the ball is attended by around four hundred guests dressed in period costume and masked.
History
Created in 1994 by Antonia SautterAntonia Sautter
Antonia Sautter is an Italian period costume designer and stylist based in Venice, Italy. She is well-known for her costumes and for being the creator and organizer of Il Ballo del Doge, the costume ball held each year during the Carnival of Venice in Palazzo Pisani Moretta on the Grand Canal in...
, Il Ballo del Doge has become a world famous masquerade ball
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
, defined by Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
as "one of the most exclusive parties in the world." Guests have included members of European, Middle Eastern and Asian royal families, leaders in international business and finance, celebrities and the glitterati. Each year the ball follows a different theme, the most recent being:
- 2006 Meraviglie d'Oriente (The Marvels of the Orient)
- 2007 Meraviglie del Mare (The Marvels of the Sea)
- 2008 Il Giardino delle Delizie (The Garden of Delights)
- 2009 Golden Passion
- 2010 Seven Dreams 7 Seven Sins
Il Ballo del Doge 2011 is entitled "...Because Life is Magic" and will be held on Saturday 5th March 2011 in Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Palazzo Pisani Moretta is a palace situated along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy between Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza and Palazzo Tiepolo.-History:...
.
Entertainment
The ball is essentially a reconstruction of an 18th Century masquerade ball and includes a meal of Venetian cuisineVenetian cuisine
Venetian cuisine has a centuries-long history, and it is significantly different from the other cuisines of North Italy as well as neighbouring Austria and Slavic countries, despite having something in common with all these.- Overview :Venetian cuisine may be divided into three main kinds of...
. Over the years the entertainment has included performances by opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singers, musicians, burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
artists and characters from the Commedia dell'Arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
.
Management
Antonia SautterAntonia Sautter
Antonia Sautter is an Italian period costume designer and stylist based in Venice, Italy. She is well-known for her costumes and for being the creator and organizer of Il Ballo del Doge, the costume ball held each year during the Carnival of Venice in Palazzo Pisani Moretta on the Grand Canal in...
, Italian period costume designer based in Venice, Italy, is the creator and organizer of this event.
Press
Il Ballo del Doge has been covered by the international press for many years. TV programmes, newspapers and magazines from Italy, the US, the UK, Russia, Spain, France have all devoted space for this event.See also
Antonia SautterAntonia Sautter
Antonia Sautter is an Italian period costume designer and stylist based in Venice, Italy. She is well-known for her costumes and for being the creator and organizer of Il Ballo del Doge, the costume ball held each year during the Carnival of Venice in Palazzo Pisani Moretta on the Grand Canal in...
Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Palazzo Pisani Moretta is a palace situated along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy between Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza and Palazzo Tiepolo.-History:...
Carnival of Venice
Carnival of Venice
The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival starts 40 days before easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday , the day before Ash Wednesday.-History:...
Venetian Festival
Venetian Festival
Venetian festivals are held in cities in Europe and North America. They are based on carnival, or carnevale, the period just before Lent, as celebrated in the 17th century in Venice, Italy. Venetian festivals re-create the fantasy of the earlier events with food, costumes, masks, music, theater,...