VENICE CARNIVAL KICKED OF WITH AN AMAZING WATER PARADE ON THE GRAND CANAL

Exquisite masks and costumes are undoubtedly what you think of when you think of Carnival in Venice. A 23-foot-long paper-mâché rat leading a parade down the Grand Canal, however, was a sight you might not be as familiar with, but it marked the beginning of the 2025 Venice Carnival. All of this took place during a water parade that kicked off two weeks of Carnival celebrations.

In the face of a Carnival that threatened to turn into a manufactured tourist attraction rather than something that the locals celebrated, the Pantegana, which means "street rat," has come to represent local resistance. To wrap up the celebrations and reclaim it for Venetians, the water parade began a little more than ten years ago in the residential Cannaregio neighbourhood.

The water parade is now the event that kicks off Carnival and has relocated to the historic Grand Canal in recent years. About a hundred boats follow the Pantegana as it leads the charge toward the Rialto Bridge. Voga alla Veneziana is also highlighted in this lovely Carnival celebration. The city's gondoliers are primarily responsible for the fame of this rowing technique, which involves standing in the boat while moving the oar.