VENICE, ITALY
«16-22Feb. 2026»
IL CARNEVALE


Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

 

The first time I visited Venice was with my parents, must have been aged 10 or so; that would be around 1965 or 1966.
The next time was in 1978, with my girlfriend (later my wife). Another visit followed in 2009, rather more for allowing my aging mother one last peek at her favourite city. My visit in 2015 started to include personal 'themes'.

In 2020 we benefitted from the Corona pandemic travel restrictions: other continents than Europe were notably absent.
In 2022 we went for that famous festival: Il Carnevale, and this year for a REVISIT!
I hope you will enjoy my report on 'La Serenissima', also known as 'La Dominante', 'Queen of the Adriatic', 'City of Water', 'City of Masks', 'City of Bridges', 'The Floating City' and 'City of Canals'.

Photos © Ruud Leeuw

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Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Entre Nous
Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Basilica Santa Maria della Salute in the background

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
I love the books on his shirt!

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Smiling eyes..

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
The devil and the clergy..?

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

 

 

 


Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Steampunk! I love it!

"It’s not important to take the perfect picture. It’s about keeping the mood, the energy, the memory of
what’s happening right now." - Nina Davidson

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Brutal ☺

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

 

 

 


Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
'Pensionati im Viaggo' = 'Retirees on the Move' (Google Translate)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Possibly a character of the Harry Potter series..?

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
This can't be more Venice, not with the The Flag of the Republic of Venice there, commonly known as the Banner or
Standard of Saint Mark; it was the symbol of the Republic of Venice, until its dissolution in 1797.

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
The cameras I used were Sony A7IV (w/ Sony 24-105 G OSS) and compact cameras
Sony RX100 VII + Canon G5X II. I excluded pix by my Samsung S25, which I used for Facebook.

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
On previous visits I came across her too, always in this posture of humility. This time I gave her a little more.

 

 


Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)


PHOTOBOMBING..

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
A generous smile, GRAZIE!!

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
All smiles

 

 

 


Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
A play in progress (in Italian so alas, I didn't understand); note the confetti thrown in the air.

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Greeted by a royal smile..

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Golden glow has the devil following behind her

 

 

 


Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
A striking pose

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
He was steering her across the bridge as she herself could not see the steps.

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Passing the 'Bridge of Sighs'

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Never encountered such crowds in Venice before (though they always tend to stay in the same spots) and also
noteworthy: the first time I noticed police present to regulate the flow of the crowds in various places!

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)
Marching shadows

Venice, Il Carnevale 2026 (Ruud Leeuw copyright)

 

 

 

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Created: 24-Feb-2026 | 18-Apr-2026