Paola

CoM: CIAO! TODAY WE’RE INTERVIEWING CARNEVALE MASK MAKER AND COSTUME DESIGNER, PAOLA MENEGHIN.

CoM: PAOLA, WHEN DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO VENICE ITALY’S CARNEVALE?

PM: My parents took me to Venezia when l was young. We would go to visit our relatives there. Ever since the first time I’ve been fascinated.

CoM: WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT CARNEVALE?

PM: The crowd. The music. The magical atmosphere. The joy. The friendship. The cooperation with all the masks and photographers. I love the Carnevale in all its aspects. There’s a hidden suggestive "calle" and little bridge that offer a unique corner for unforgettable moments and photos.

CoM: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE CARNEVALE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN?

PM: Go. Just go to the Carnevale. The atmosphere can’t be described. You have to live and feel it yourself. The exciting crowd, the calm of the “little corners," the magnificent Piazza San Marco. You have to smell the “laguna” and breath the fragrance of the sea in the early morning. Go and enjoy. You will love it forever.

CoM: ARE YOU A CARNEVALE CREATOR?

PM: What I make is unique hand created Venetian masks to custom match people’s costumes however they wish, each one a collectible masterpiece. I started out a long time ago by creating masks and costumes to represent my art in them. At first, l painted flowers, landscapes, and the colours of nature - all to catch a particular moment or emotion. My masks won awards for the style, fantasy, colour matching, and fades. And then l started creating costumes too. The fashion fascinated me….

CoM: WHICH CARNEVALE BUSINESS IS YOUR GO-TO?

PM: My family home, La Piccola Venezia, is an artistic villa residence near Che (120km). It’s also an atelier for unique masks and costumes that has been awarded many times in international art contests in Rome. In addition to being a bed and breakfast, guests can make their own masks in the villa during their stay.