Fun Facts

CIOCCOLATO CALDO (ITALIAN HOT CHOCOLATE)

In the colder months, visitors will discover the wonderful hot chocolate served in cafes all over Italy. This hot chocolate is sometimes served so thick (like a pudding) that you may need a spoon to actually eat it.

CARNIVAL MASKS

Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian Carnival; traditionally people wore them between the festival of Santo Stefano (December 26) which started the carnival season and midnight of Fat Tuesday. Masks were also allowed to be worn between Ascension (October 5) and Christmas, this meant people could spend a large portion of the year in disguise.

GRADES OF OLIVE OIL

The grades of oil extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:
Virgin - the oil was produced by physical means and no chemical treatment
Refined - the oil had been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes
Pomace Oil - the oil has been extracted using chemical solvents and by heat.

THE FLIGHT OF THE DOVE

Every year on the last Thursday before Lent in front of a crowd of people, noblemen and the Doge a professional acrobat would walk on a rope up to the belltower and perform various tricks and somersaults. Because of various accidents throughout the years, the acrobats were dismissed in favor of a big wooden dove containing flowers and confetti to sprinkle on the crowd during its descent. This is how the Flight of the Turk became the Flight of the Dove.