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Article: Venice unmasked.
- Article from:
- The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine)
- Article date:
- August 17, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Regent Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Venice is the drag queen of Italian cities. Baubled, bejeweled, bewigged, the city spends a few weeks of every early spring behind the glittering masks of Carnavale and the glamorous facade of the Venice Film Festival and the rest of the time getting ready for the party. Although there are no gay clubs or bars in Venice proper (the closest are in nearby Maestre or Padua), gay travelers with a sense of history will find that this most fabulous of European cities resonates to a distinctly queer vibe--a sensibility that has traditionally encouraged tolerance and individuality.
The core of Venetian life has hinged for centuries on the concept of the mask: one face ...