Venetian masks have been handmade from papier-mâché, leather, and gesso since the 13th century.
Plan this experience →Workshops: Ca’ Macana (€85–120/2h, paint your own mask — the workshop used in Eyes Wide Shut), Tragicomica (€90/2h, full papier-mâché process), Alberto Sarria (€75/1.5h). What you do: choose a blank mask form (Bauta, Colombina, Medico della Peste), apply gesso, paint with acrylics, add gold leaf or feathers. Take it home. Artisan shops: Ca’ Macana (Dorsoduro), Tragicomica (San Polo), Ca’ del Sol (San Marco area). A handmade Venetian mask: €40–500 depending on complexity. The €5 masks on street stalls are plastic from China.